December Reading Wrap-Up

      Here we are at the end of December!  Unbelievable.  This has been the best reading year by far of my adult life thanks to my favorite Anne, my awesome book club, and my husband working an entire year of night shift!  I end this year with 67 books read which is a chunk more than my 50 book goal for 2016.  I'm ambitiously aiming for 100 books next year.  We'll see!!!

       This month felt like I didn't get in a ton of reading with everything else added in, however a few of my books this month were giants so I feel pretty good!

       My first book this month was Theft of Swords by Michael Sullivan.

         Because I was so thrilled with "Age of Myth" and it's sequel doesn't come out for several more months, I thought I would pick up his first series and see what I thought.  This was originally two books but was later made into one.  It clocks in at 700 pages but because it's really two books it didn't feel to overwhelming.  I started out a little iffy.  It's definitely a little "rougher" than Age of Myth in it's violence and innuendo but still something I was comfortable reading.  By the end, I was won over.  I'm discovering all of the sudden that this fantasy/adventure genre in a good fit for me and I'm greatly enjoying it!  

       The second book I finished was A Room With a View by E.M. Forster

         After a pretty steady diet of high adventure this was a sudden turn of events!  This is one of those books that is just plain silly.  And when I say that I usually mean it in a good way.  The right kind of silly can just hit your reading "sweet spot" and make you snicker.  We watch as poor Lucy works to discover who she is and what she really wants in life.  Even while trying to do everything right life can come around and dump you on your head.  This is one of those books where the joy comes from the eccentric characters and their hilarious conversations, not from any great depth of plot.

          The third book I finished I had started last spring. It was The Coming Apocalypse: A Study of Replacement Theology vs. God's Faithfulness in the End Times by Renald Showers.

        I must admit I usually avoid books with such titles, but my husband encouraged me to read it and I'm so glad I did.  It's focus was on Israel, God's faithfulness and fulfillment of His promises and His coming plans.  It also gave a vibrant picture of the extent of anti-semitism throughout history.  It was fascinating and horrifying.  Even after growing up as a Christian it is easy to remain a little vague about some areas of my faith and one of those for me has definitely been God's plan for the nation of Israel.  If you are at all interested in such topics, I would highly recommend reading through this.

          The next book I read was Secrets of Nanreath Hall by Alix Rickloff.

       This book was a Christmas present from someone fabulous and came in a beautiful box with several intriguing packages like this. 

And a note that said....

         When you are me, no package in the world can produce more excitement.  It's like a book treasure hunt!  Unfortunately, even though the excitement of the gift was a 10, the book didn't quite deliver.  It started out with good promise.  A young woman during WWII trying to find out about her deceased mother, flashing back to her mother as a young woman in WWI, I was instantly sucked in and had hopes that it would be on par with Kate Morton (one of my favorites).  The characters quickly started to fall a little flat and the plot ended up fairly predictable (Not even getting in striking distance of Morton's brilliant plot twists).  The nail in the coffin for me though was the randomly explicit scenes.  I'm used to some scandal, but this crossed the line.  

         Next I read The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

          When I asked my fantasy loving friend for his best recommendation, I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised at the 832 page brick I was led to.  He said it was better than Tolkien (which of course I scoffed at and instantly doubted his sanity.).  This is only the first book out of fourteen and that fact alone makes me nearly burst into tears.  My friend assures me it's worth it though.  

         I greatly enjoyed it.  It wasn't close to a "day and a halfer" but given the immensity of it I thought nine days wasn't bad.  I must admit I felt a little lost at first.  It really was a whole new world and I'm pretty sure I've just dipped my toe in the water of it's complexity.  The first couple of chapters weren't pulling me in.  I liked the young man and his calm shepherding village, but once the fearsome trollocs burst through their door and his peace loving father produced a mysterious sword, I was hooked!  I'm looking forward with trepidation at starting book number 2.

        The last book this month was Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis.

         It's no secret I love Connie Willis, so my Anne gave me this book to read for a chuckle over the Christmas season.  I'm not usually a short stories fan, but these hit that "silly sweet spot" that I enjoy.  Not at all serious or even inspirational, they are a combination of sci-fi and silly.  You might hate them.  They might make you laugh.

       Well, that wraps up my whole reading for the year.  How strange!  Next year along with my 100 book challenge I'm endeavoring to re-read all of the "Anne of Green Gable" series and as much Elisabeth Elliot as I can.  Happy reading in 2017!!!

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!!

From our family to yours.

Peace On Earth

        As I've heard at least a hundred times today, Christmas is the day after tomorrow.  I've got five little girls bouncing off the walls and one little boy belting "Fa la la la la" at the top of his lungs all day long.  There's been a different song lodged in my mind though.

        "Wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, goodwill to men".

           As my children bustled around me today, my thoughts just kept swirling.  Oh to have that child like joy again.  That untainted delight.  The heaviness in my heart however, resonated with this verse;

"And in despair I bowed my head; There is no peace on earth I said.  For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men."

            It's been one of those weeks where you are just reminded.  You never really forget what kind of a world we live in, but sometimes it's made even more poignant.  Even with the beauty and the cheer, the taint of sin runs so deep.  This world is so broken.  Sometimes the hope feels out of reach under such consuming darkness.  But it's not.  The hope is there.

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:  God is not dead nor doth He sleep;  The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth goodwill to men."

          Jesus is coming.  He came.  He ransomed us.  And He is coming again.  Our only hope of peace is in Him.  And in that hope is all joy.  

"Do not let your heart be troubled;  believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many dwelling places;  if it were not so, I would have told you;  for I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you,  I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

The Flurry Days!

       I suppose when I said I wasn't going to let Christmas overwhelm me this year, I probably shouldn't have added in three crochet projects and two sewing projects with only twelve days to go.  But who am I kidding.  This is me.  I think there is a piece of me somewhere deep down that needs a little bit of "frantic" to make me tick.  Unfortunately, my blogging time has suffered.  Fortunately, it snowed!!!  So in the midst of me trying to get together everything I want to, here are some pictures of cute people playing in the snow!

Happy "10 Days Until Christmas"!!!

Costco Adventures

     For some odd reason I thought it would be fun to do a little video showing some bits of our monthly Costco trip.  I love videos because I feel like you get a little better glimpse of the real deal, not just one perfect snapshot.  Hope you enjoy!

November Reading Wrap-Up

       I'm so excited for my first actual wrap-up!!!  It won't be too official, just thoughts.  And it will only include books I actually completed!

       The first book I read was "Thursday Next- First Among Sequels"

        It is the fifth in the Thursday Next series by Japser Fforde.  This series was one of the first recommendations from my good friend Anne.  These books are beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  Time travel, book travel, and so much more.  Easily the most creative (borderline crazy?) author I've ever read.  There is some swearing and definitely not written from a Christian perspective so keep that it mind. 

     The next book was  "Out of the Silent Planet" by C.S. Lewis.

    This was a re-read from around eight years ago.  People seem to have very polarizing responses to this one.  I love it.  It's not Narnia in any way, shape or form, but I can still find love in my heart for something different.  It's very "spacey", so don't expect anything different.  I just love how Lewis thinks.  Even when I disagree with him, it's fascinating to watch his imagination.

      The next book I read was "Crosstalk" by Connie Willis.

  This was a "day and a halfer",  which is a term I use when I get snagged in a book, read late into the night and am usually finished before my head hits the pillow the next night.  Funny thing is,  I really can't predict when it's going to hit.  Sometimes I just adore a book, but I still plod along at a responsible pace.  Sometimes I'm just overtaken.  This was one of those for me.

   I love Connie Willis. (Another fabulous Anne introduction!).  I can hardly even explain why other than I always care deeply about her characters and I desperately want to know how things will turn out for them.  "Crosstalk" is about a girl who decides the best way to progress in her relationship with her boyfriend is to get the newest technology which allows you to actually feel what your partner is feeling.  As you can imagine, things don't exactly go as planned.  As someone who panics at the sight of a new text, I was amazed how intrigued I was by this over connected plot line.  Then again, it was Connie Willis.  There was some swearing in the book.

       Next was "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White.

  This was a re-re-re-read originally from the third grade.  This time around I was reading it aloud to my little girls, Ella and Esther.  This one is simply a delight.  You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll never look at a spider web the same! 

     Next was "Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times" by Jennifer Worth

    I had watched the show previous to reading this and was surprised how closely it followed the book.  It is written by a former midwife in the slums of London in the fifties.  Birth is one of my favorite subjects ever, so needless to say, I loved it.  It was beautiful, horrific, devastating and inspiring.  Definitely not for the faint of heart.  *The chapter titled "Cable Street" is incredibly graphic in it's description of a prostitute's life and I would strongly advise skipping it entirely.*  

      Next up was "The Searchers" by Alan LeMay

          This was the first western I had ever read and I'm afraid this one didn't hit the mark for me.  I picked this up because I remember watching the old John Wayne movie on tv at my grandparent's house when I was a kid and thinking it was a tremendous story.  Mostly it was just violent and sad.  I can take some violence.  And I can take quite a bit of sadness.  This just wasn't a good fit for me.  (For my friends who love their westerns, I promise to try again, and this time I'll come to you for some recommendations before stabbing in the dark!)

       Next was "Age of Myth" by Michael J. Sullivan

      This was a "day and a halfer" AND a blind grab from the library "new books" section.  I won't do a very good job with a description so here is the excerpt from the book flap!

"Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between men and those they thought were gods changes forever. Now, only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer. Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom. And Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people.

The Age of Myth is over; the time of rebellion has begun."

      This was a big swing for me and I knew it was likely going to be a strike out, but unexpectedly this connected with me in a big way.  And like almost all "day and a halfers" I can't really even say why.  I liked the story.  It gripped me.  It was interesting without being too weird.  It was intense and sorrowful without being depressing.  It was something new that I really enjoyed.  

      Last but not least was "Growing Beautiful Food" by Matthew Benson which I already reviewed previously here.

      In a nutshell, its beautiful.  It makes you want to eat salad for every meal and believe that chickens are probably what's missing from your life.

    So that was my month's reading.  I can't imagine you would feel the same way about all of these books that I did but that's one of the beauties of books.  They reach us all in different ways.  I'd love to hear what you've been reading!!!