november news and 2023 updates!
read on for colourful news & updates in the world o' me: halthegal!
heading to bi-monthly emails…
unless there's something HUGE i need to tell you... we’re heading to bi-monthly emails!
since i'm not doing new etsy drops or in-person art festivals anymore, i suppose there's less NEWS-worthy news coming out of my studio these days...
so i'm changing from a monthly email to a bi-monthly email to see how that works out for us. :D so here's some extra coffee cheers to you until our next colourful newsletter... in january 2023!
happy sticker mail!!
we've moved to happy sticker mail every-other-month! woohoo! you can join the crayon box (patreon.com/halthegal) with a monthly membership pledge and get your own dose of bi-monthly happy mail, behind-the-scenes step x step painting in the studio, and the first to get all sorts of BOOKish (author! illustrator!) news...
join in november for your welcome goodies + this adorable owl in pajamas sticker and catch up on cover paintings like Amari here! :D
here’s to the books!
^my fave reads of october
as always, you can check out my recommendations by category on my bookshop.org page and support independent bookstores across the usa while you're at it! :)
here were my faves from october:
tales of a seventh-grade lizard boy, by jonathan hill. this is a young readers' graphic novel inspired by the sci-fi B movies and comics of the 60s... it has STUNNING art direction (especially the hardcover) and so many surprises. (like, when you read the book, half of your face is a lizard, half is human. you can see my book review video HERE.)
life is like a musical, by tim federle. author, actor, broadway dancer, screenwriter, television producer... tim has had a creative career and learned a lot of quippy life lessons along the way!
the bootlace magician, by cassie beasley. a middle grade fantasy, the sequel to the incredible circus mirandus. i love these two books so.
reading next…
drawing is magic, by john hendrix . this book was recommended by an art director at the scbwi conference i attended last month (my blog post here!), and it's an interactive sketchbook.... and then some. i'm honestly hesitant to start which is the exact problem i hope this book shall solve... ;)
berliners, by vesper stamper. vesper always blows me away with her writing AND her illustrations. her hefty fully-illustrated teen historical fiction titles are culturally timely, breathtaking, and culture-shaking. BERLINERS follows two brothers separated the night the berlin wall is constructed. *shivers*
bridge of souls, by victoria schwab. you might know her as "v.e. schwab" for her darker teen fantasy or adult speculative fiction novels, but i love her cassidy blake middle grade series the mostest! cassidy's parents are the hosts of a supernatural ghost "reality" tv show, and she tags along on all of their around-the-world adventures with her fading ghost bestie... that only she can see. this one is set in new orleans. (books one and two were in edinburgh and paris, respectively!)
and if you're looking for an audiobook site that supports indie bookstores, i highly recommend libro.fm!
that's all for now! do be in touch if you need any faerie tale feet prints or other art for the holidays. while my etsy site is down, i can still do custom orders. :)
i'm so glad you're here reading all my little life updates. if you want more details, my instagram shares travels, art, and things (including those weekly reading book review videos every monday morning!) and of course the crayon box gets happy mail, art process posts and helpful hints, new story snippets, and all my love and gratitude. ;)
here's to many more story-filled, creative adventures for us all!
with peace, love, and many colourful reads to you,
*hallie :)