WEEKEND VLOG | LOTR in theaters, mckay's trip, book haul, spice discussion and current reads

[@kristiacole]

I'm also so thankful for our community that is promoting clean books! 💕

[@BookLoverAmanda]

yes!

[@susanfryman5156]

I’m glad you recommend clean reads. I know I can trust you. You’re such a blessing.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Thank you! Love you friend

[@eMsBooksAreEverywhere]

Your channel is a blessing! Not only for the clean recommendations but just all the fun and shenanigans. I appreciate your efforts! And am I going to pick up the new Stuart Turton? Yes!

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Thank you my friend! Yess I am excited about the new Stuart book. Hoping to get to it in August.

[@laurenteague3705]

Thank you sister for sharing about the light of the world in a world full of darkness. Thank you for letting God use you to do that! It is so needed!!

[@BookLoverAmanda]

🩷🩷🩷

[@SunshineFC15]

Loved that you and Blake had a day date and so many great books were hauled this weekend. Also loved the discussion on clean reads and shout out to that book seller. Very refreshing to hear that In this day and age for sure.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Yesss sister!

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

“Hey yall it’s Amanda “🤣🤣🥰👏🏾gives me joy each time I hear it

[@BookLoverAmanda]

🩷🩷

[@CandlewickLibrary]

Yes! I appreciate so much knowing whether there is any open door (and even some close door) before I pick a book up.

[@protagonistspub]

Excellent discussion on young readers and spice level in books.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

thanks girl

[@maryscolorfuljourney2159]

This is why I love and appreciate you and the content you put on your channel and that you keep things real and you talk about things like what's in book these days. I'm not on TikTok either because I've seen and heard enough it's not for me. I'm playing catch up on your videos this morning and just want to say how cute little man is, and he's growing up. My little girl graduated this year and turned 18, where in the world did the time go. Thanks for sharing with us! Take care and glad your test went good so far and hope you start to feel better soon💞💞💞💞

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Thank you friend! I appreciate your kind words. Yeah I am not a fan of TIK TOK LOL. Thank you so much about little man. Time does go by fast doesn't it.

[@justlifeacoustic]

amen and thank you for promoting clean reads! You are the reason I am finally able to work into a bookstore and not feel discouraged!

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Oh I love it!!

[@Ms.SpookyNerd]

Gotta love book shopping. I have no shame for this summer to becoming a book shopping summer lol🧋📚🤠🍨🥤🌈🍄🍉🍓🍋

[@thewritingsongbird5108]

ooh I'm currently reading Powerful...the whole time just waiting for the end😭😭

[@Cohencottage]

Loooooved this video 🎉🎉🎉 such great chats girl 🤩🤩🤩

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Thanks sis!

[@OceanaGottaReadEmAll]

Sharing about clean alternatives is so so important nowadays. 👏🏼

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Yes girl!

[@kristiacole]

The Last Murder at the End of the World sounds so good!

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

LOTR 🔥🔥it was the best. Spot up front 🤣🤣👏🏾👏🏾

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

15:01 Stuart 🔥🔥🔥it’s wild having a blast

[@Veronica.Roni.V]

Hey date day and the hubs ...we love to see it. 😁 Great discussion about the level of spice I am completely floored that the store is actually trying to steer the kids in another direction. I am IMPRESSED. Most stores are encouraging any and ALL dark. Maybe not just sexual dark but dark content in general. The devil is after the kid's parents don't forget that.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

thank you sister! amen girl

[@Writing4Jesus247]

😂"Come on, lady!" "That's a man. An old man with curly hair! What the heck??"🤣🤣🤣🤣 Love it!❤

[@BookLoverAmanda]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@veronicamaria2730]

So much fun to see you and Blake out and about! Love it. Seems ironic in this day of "sanitizing" books that it's acceptable to offer children books they are not mentally/emotionally equipped to discern. We don't even have to go into ethics here, how about horse sense? I'll step off the soap box and just say you make your videos seem so seamless, and I know that takes a lot of work. Thank you! 🌻❤️

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Oh yes, totally agree!!!

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

Yes I agree sharing content especially the romance books and clean alternative reads. I’m so glad you share these things sister💜 God Bless that book seller 💯

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Amen sis I was so glad to see it

[@thewritingsongbird5108]

Such a cool experience!! Yess Boromir always makes me cry 😢 even more sad in the book

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Right!

[@jennifermcclurkan9274]

I love the Mckays in Nashville

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

McKays👏🏾👏🏾🔥🔥 Yass this place is amazing 💜

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

Those Austen covers! 🥰🥰

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

16:56 Davenports was so good 🔥🔥🔥🙌🏾💯

[@kellireadsalot]

You were my workout buddy this morning. 😊I really agree with the spicy discussion. I will occasionally continue with a book of it has spice(usually Cassandra Clare), but will always page flip. Parents should shop with their kids for books and most of the time pay for the books so kids feel special and have a reason to feel great about the experience.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Thank you Kelli!

[@LeeEllenHughes10]

I always LOVE your vlogs!! I was just in Pigeon Forge/Sevierville this past weekend and thought of you!!

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Love it!

[@Angela-it2tb]

Crooked House is one of Agatha Christie’s best! 😊 I hope you enjoy it! I think its ironic that the bookseller in BAM was trying to steer the teens away from the spice books considering my local BAM store no longer sells any type of christian fiction clean books😢

[@BookLoverAmanda]

I hope I like it too. Oh wow sister, I hate that! :(

[@talesandtreatswithtay]

Oooo that cover for The Vault Between Spaces 😍😍 Christian fantasy ....say less!!

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Right!

[@Priscilla_Bettis]

When I was 16, I wouldn't have been able to make a wise purchasing decision regarding the spice in books. Good for the bookstore employee TRYING to warn off the girls.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Me too friend! There was no way I could have either.

[@KristinaLuvsBooks]

Preach sister preach. Booktok is all ‘corn’ book recs, it’s sad.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Truly sad yes

[@kristiacole]

That's so cool that you guys were able to go see Lord of the Rings in theaters! What a fun time! 😄

[@BookLoverAmanda]

such a good experience!

[@BookTalksWithMrsThomas]

Ooooo a movie theater!!! It’s been ages since I’ve been to the movies.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Right! We hadn’t either really other than the Star Wars re play we saw haha before that may have been 2019?!

[@twirlinginameadow]

Whenever me and my family come up to TN we always go to that Mckay's! We always have so much fun and get so many books😂📚

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Love that!

[@kristiacole]

Oh my goodness! Mckay's looks amazing! And tee and I found one that is only about an hour from us! We'll be going on an adventure there soon! ❤

[@BookLoverAmanda]

YESSS vlog it if you can haha I would love to see it!

[@kristiacole]

@@BookLoverAmanda ok will do! 💕

[@JaneReads]

That's the McKay's I visited last Sept. and would love to go spend more time in the area next time. Happy to hear that someone in a secular bookstore is trying to steer teens away from the unclean books, they don't need be reading that stuff.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

It's such a good store ain't it!? Yes, I was glad she was trying to make them aware too.

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

I love that you talked to the bookshop employee about that. At least she's trying which is great!❤

[@BookLoverAmanda]

❤Right!

[@annriddle6921]

I am reading the third and final book in Karen Witemeyer’s Hanger’s Horseman series, “In Honor’s Defense” and Julie Klassen’s, “The Maid of Fairbourne Hall”. Both are very intriguing but if I had to choose a favorite out of the two, I think that it would be, “In Honor’s Defense”.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

awesome Ann!

[@crystaljordan7318]

I had no idea what McKays was like inside. We always pass it going north to see my family. (Birmingham to Ohio). It is such a long trip I just want to "get there", ya know? Maybe I should plan a trip next time!

[@BookLoverAmanda]

yess!

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

Sam is the hero 👏🏾👏🏾💯🔥

[@jennifermcclurkan9274]

I'm reading a secular women's fiction book by Kristin Harmel called The Sweetness of Forgetting. It is clean so far.

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

McKay's!!!

[@insearchofwonder]

That's a huge McKay's! How fun! Enjoyed the conversation and I agree with you about the spice content and young readers.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

yes sister!

[@librariesandlabradors]

It’s just kind of mind blowing to me that even when I was in high school what I thought was blacklist romance was the Twilight series, and now girls are reading Sophie Lark, etc. 😬 but good for that seller, I hope they don’t stop that. Even just to inform.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Right sister! Me too!

[@thebirdhouserules]

I love McKays! I hate the entrance to it though 😂I wish there was a way the could fix it 😊I think my boys went to that theater several years back they did a LOTR marathon there 😂 it was literally all day they loved it 😂

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Right it’s hard to pull in there ain’t it 🤣🤣🤭

[@thebirdhouserules]

@@BookLoverAmanda Yes! 😂 I always prefer my husband to drive when we go 😂

[@ChrissiesPurpleLibrary]

Boba cravings 🔥🔥🔥

[@JaneReads]

I loved Twilight at Blueberry Barrens even though the first two in the series weren't faves.

[@susanfryman5156]

I’m reading/listening to The Ark and the Dove. Recently released Biblical fiction. Just finished Nearing Home by Billy Graham, a reread for me. Also trying to finish an ARC of The Pyramid Murders, cozy historical, coming out tomorrow.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Sounds like some good reads!

[@jennifermcclurkan9274]

I want to read more Denise Hunter.

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

I so wanted to see LotR in theaters, but baby is way too little. 😂😂

[@amyodell7157]

I appreciate your thoughts on smut books. I guess now would be a good time to share about Christian fiction. I have picked up the Timeless series book 1 at least three times. I only tried again because Chrissy was crying over the third one. 🤔I can’t get past the first chapter when she lays out the whole “rules” for time changers. Doctrine matters! Libby could pick out her preferred time slip at 21 but the author just said God was the Author of their lives and He decided who got the “gift”. Then why can’t He be trusted with her life? I know people really love the books but to me they’re convoluted and unbiblical. We walk by faith not by sight. Now, I know I didn’t read past the first chapter but I just think they’re not for me. Great video! 👏🏻

[@BookLoverAmanda]

I am sorry to hear it wasn't for you, friend. That's ok too. I know everyone feels differently for different books and things will hit each person different. Personally, by the end of the book and in each book, I feel like we see that the characters realize that His plan is the ultimate plan. They are worried throughout the stories because of the circumstances, but its relatable for me in my own faith walk. I haven't always fully trusted in my faith walk either but know deep down what I should do and how I should trust. We truly see how they struggle in both timelines and how the Lord works everything out in His plan for their good.

[@susanfryman5156]

You two are so cute together.

[@Coffee_and_a_Book]

It's really frustrating when you can't even begin to guess at the type of content a book is going to have by reading a synopsis or looking at the cover/first pages. At least for me, being an adult, if I get into something I don't want to read, I know I can just put it down and walk away. But the kids and teenagers picking up books, *in their own sections*, that then discover what's in them (or worse, *want* to read what's in them) is so disturbing because, let's be honest, we did not have the good sense to put something down we knew we shouldn't be reading when we were their age, and they're not going to be any different. At least when I was reading middle grade and when YA was first becoming a thing, they felt safe. It felt like these were books I could read and know no more than xyz content was going to be included. Now, it's like no holds barred. It's just sad. (Sorry that was so long and rambly)

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Agree 100%!

[@talesandtreatswithtay]

Provisions needed for 3.5 hours 🎉💯

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Absolutely!

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

Get on that soapbox, girl!!!

[@BookLoverAmanda]

ALWAYS LOL

[@readknitwithcheryl]

Loved that you guy got to have a date at the movies! Those classics at the bookstore are so pretty. I'm currently reading The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins which is said to be the first English language detective novel. I'm really enjoying it and it is very readable and humourous. Also, I just wanted to say thank you for your comment responding to me in the last video about my going to get tested for colon cancer. I probably shouldn't have told you and I was kinda of depressed when I made that comment. Overall, I'm nervous about the tests, but I know God will look after me, no matter what the results. He's been with me through many health issues throughout my life and I know He's not about to stop now. Thank you for your offer in letting me talk to you through instagram. I might just do that sometime! God bless you and thank you for all your work on your channel. Oh, plus, I'm Neurodivergent and I love how you are raising your son and how much you are doing for him, just by loving him and teaching him about God's love for him.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Thank you! Sister, you can ask for prayers ANYTIME. No apologies needed. I will be praying for you Cheryl! The Lord is going to be with you. God bless you sister. I love that you are neurodivergent too and appreciate your comments about our little man. SO much love to you friend!!! (Sorry it took me a while to reply, been so busy!)

[@kellyadams79]

Yes, about the romance and age limits and it doesn't help that they have these cutesy covers. I just read Check &Mate and it's under teen and I wouldn't be ok with my 15 reading it for the language too. Which is most teen books though.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Right sister

[@meganmeadows935]

30 minutes in a book store for Amanda???? That's like a nightmare dressed like a daydream! lol

[@BookLoverAmanda]

LOL!

[@thebirdhouserules]

Have you been to Cedar Springs Christian Bookstore off cedar bluff? It’s nice

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Yes! I love it!

[@zubaerchaudhari8267]

Hello there hey there hey Hello hey

[@talesandtreatswithtay]

Oh wow, good on those booksellers for trying to dissuade those girls! So true that the clean reads are so hidden compared to the in your face marketing of spicy books. Such a shame. I overheard a conversation between some young adults in a used bookstore, one of them said shed been "blessed by the book gods" for a bunch of spicy books she found for cheap. I found that so sad, i saw my pre-jesus self in her, i hope the Lord will do a great working in her life like He did mine

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Agree sister.🙌🏼 I hope so too.

[@jennifermcclurkan9274]

I wish young girls would read Courtney Walsh books and such.

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Me too sis

[@KristinaLuvsBooks]

Unicorns YES, big tarantula HECK NO

[@BookLoverAmanda]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@talesandtreatswithtay]

Some of these books are straight up porn, i wish there were age restrictions like there is for tobacco and drinking. Like this stuff can be addictive too

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Absolutely

[@miriamelizabethreads]

McKayssssss!!! I need to just watch all the LOTR movies, still haven't!!! And I have to finish the series! Shirley is so good! 😭😭❤❤ Deeper sounds so good!! I want to read that one and also Gentle and Lowly by him. Young girls reading spicy books is actually really damaging. 🙁 It's really unfortunate that nowadays it's almost a standard / expectation going into secular books that they'll be sexually charged (not all the time, but a lot of the time). And it's so unnecessary! It cheapens and completely distorts the gift God made sexuality to be (as He ordained it).

[@BookLoverAmanda]

YESS ALL THE THINGS

[@amyodell7157]

Thanks for the review on Love, Unscripted. I don’t care for Hollywood stories in my Christian fiction. I’ll pass. 😊

[@BookLoverAmanda]

Yeah I am kinda needing a break from Hollywood plots I think now😂

[@susanfryman5156]

I avoid the spice and profanity.

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

I so wanted to see LotR in theaters, but baby is way too little. 😂😂

[@MorgansEndlessBookshelf]

Wait, did I post this twice? 😂😂

[@BookLoverAmanda]

😂😂😂It did but I got it girl!! I hope you can see it one day in theaters sister!