Reading Recap: Second Quarter

So, this is going up late.  Surprise, surprise.  Lucky for me, goodreads records the dates I finish books!  This post was inspired by Everyday Reading.

This second quarter I read/listened to 21 books.  Much better than first quarter's all time low record of 5!  Part of the reason for the increase is that I had a new baby in March and when I would nurse during the night, I would read.  I also started listening to audio books while I clean the kitchen.

Listed by date read:
1. The Child Thief by Brom  
I really loved most of this book. The end lagged for me. It seemingly climaxed...and then there was more, but at that point, I was ready for closure and an ending. I would definitely read it again sometime, especially if others were reading it with me. I would also recommend it to anyone who likes dark, creepy stories and doesn't mind gore or bad language. (Be warned, it has a lot of sadness and cruelty in it). There is amazing artwork for every chapter that really brings the novel to life. I will never think of Peter Pan the same way again and I can't imagine a retelling being more interesting or intriguing than this one.

2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
This book was so not what I expected! It was still great because it's Maggie Stiefvater and I am, of course, going to read the next one, but the topic isn't really my favorite (trying not give anything away!). I really liked the characters and they only did a couple of really annoying things so that's a win. What I really really liked about it was that the "romance" was practically non existent! I like romance in books and everything, but it's also nice to have it take a back seat to other plot lines. I think it's fun to watch an author change and develop and try new things over the years. Maggie is one of my favorites!

3. Austenland by Shannon Hale
Didn't love it.  However, I did love all the Austen tidbits so it wasn't a complete waste of time.  I was really hoping to love it a lot.  Oh well.  The sequel is much better (as you'll see). 

4. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
I love Sarah Rees Brennan's personality and her tumblr page (she is hilarious), but her books are always disappointing for me.  I might try one more before I give up permanently.  

5. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I was inspired to read this trilogy after I read The Raven Boys.  I read the first one several years ago, but never finished the trilogy.  This time I read the first two, but not the third.  They aren't bad books, I just have too many other books to read.  I might read Forever (the third one in the trilogy) one of these days.  

6. The Pearl Wars by Nick James
I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant surprise. 
There were two areas that annoyed me. The story is told by two characters, Jesse and Cassius. I tend to like stories told from different POV's, but this one switched from first person (Jesse) to third person (Cassius). It bugged me.
The other area that I didn't love was the world at the end of the story. It confused me. Maybe it was supposed to...but don't confuse intrigue with confusion. I wasn't intrigued in the sense that I wanted answers to my questions, I was confused and didn't understand what the author had described.
Saying that, those were minor annoyances and I will be continuing in the series. I loved Jesse and Cassius and can't wait to watch their relationship evolve! I am also interested in learning more about the pearls and all that entails.

7. Terrier by Tamora Pierce
I read this as part of The Book Smugglers "Old School Wednesday" read-a-longs.  I really enjoyed it although no one else seemed to find it very great.  Go figure.

8. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Sequel to Shiver (#5).

9. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I think this is the third time I've read this book.  It was one of the very first YA books I read so it holds a warm, fuzzy place in my heart.  Plus, the movie is getting ready to come out next month.  It looks like it might turn out to be pretty good, but I'll admit, I'm skeptical.

10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the thing. I loved listening to this audio book. LOVED. I have attempted to read the book twice and ended up not finishing it both times because I found it boring. I find that strange, but whatever. This book just came alive for me through listening. I'm so glad I gave it a shot!
I absolute love the character of Jay Gatsby. He is way beyond flawed, but he is a powerful character with many facets. I didn't love the setting, but I loved what the setting said about each of the characters in how they interacted with wealth (or lack thereof), power, and social status.
To me, Daisy is an unlikable character. I think Gatsby really is too in some ways, but for some reason I understand his flaws and give him grace, whereas with Daisy, I just don't like her.
I liked the way the story was told through Nick's perspective. It was a little hard to believe how he was always around for the major twists and such, but I still enjoyed hearing the story filtered through his mind. 
It was also a short listen (5 hours) which is a must for me with 3 my littles. Even just at 5 hours, it took me an entire week to listen to it while I cleaned the kitchen every night. 

11. Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Excellent!  This was awesome middle-grade non-fiction.  Very informative and interesting!

12. Persuasion by Jane Austen
Love anything by Jane Austen.  Yes, I am one of those women. 

13. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Huge disappointment!  I have this problem where I have these "superstar" authors in my mind in every genre and others just don't stack up.  This book was ruined by my love of all things Kate Morton. 

14. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
I don't even know how I feel about this book.  It has a really great plot and I have no specific problems with it, but it's not memorable to me at all. 

15. Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
If you have not read Melina Marchetta yet, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?  But don't start with this one.  It is the last book of a trilogy.  Start with On the Jellicoe Road.  

16. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I gave this four stars, but I'm wondering why.  I think it was pressure since everyone LOVED it.  However, I didn't.  But it was super clever and interesting so maybe 4 stars is accurate.  You decide!

17. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Lovely as expected.  A book for ayounger audience, for sure, but so universally loved by children and adults.  Will be reading it to my own brood one day. 

18. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
This was sooo much better than the first one in my opinion.  It involved a mystery and a much better love story. 

19. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Read this to see what all the hoop-la was about.  I think the author is a great writer, but the story itself fell flat for me.  I am so tired of dystopian books where the government is "out ta getcha!"  I will possibly keep reading this series just because I did enjoy the writing.  Plus, they are making a movie and that always motivates me to read. 

20. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
This book was flippin' awesome!! My best read of 2013 so far and now definitely one of my forever favorites.   I can not wait to read my hands on the sequel.  If only I was made of money :)

21.  The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
I listened to this book and it was so FUN!  The narrator did a great job with the voices!  I laughed out loud several times and that is something I rarely do.  Hopefully the sequel will make it's way into my path one day.  

Phew!  And, there you have it. 

A Reading Recap: What I Read in the First Quarter

I *might* try to start blogging again.  I've got so much to say...truly, I do!  Life with 3 has been really great so far, but I'm sure that has something to do with my husband being off work and my mom living with us.  That is about to end in 6 days.  I am a bit nervous, but we will figure it out!  For now, a book post.

I got this idea from Everyday Reading!

This quarter I have only read 5 books.  That is so sad!!  It makes my heart hurt.  I'm pretty sure that is the worst reading record I have had since Kindergarten.  I got in a big funk in January and only read one book and then in February I finished 2 and shelved 1 because it was not working for me (so annoying!).  I actually have read 2 in March which isn't so bad considering I have a newborn!  So, here they listed by date read:

1. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.
This book was pretty fascinating for me because my husband is the biggest introvert I know.  Well, he might possibly be tied with my father.  It was like looking into a little window into his soul.  After reading a part of the book about babies, I'm expecting my son to be an introvert as well.  I am one of those weird people who  hover between being introverted and extroverted.  I would say I'm maybe 60% introverted and 40% extroverted (maybe...it's hard to really know for sure).  If you are an introvert or have a special someone in your life who is introverted, I would definitely recommend reading it!

2. Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
I started reading this with a group on Facebook, but then it kind of fizzled out so I finished it by myself.  I did get more out of it when the group was discussing it.  It wasn't a bad book, per se, but I just didn't get much takeaway from it.  My children are very young and I parent with more grace (I guess that's the word?!) than the author seems to advocate.  I give my 2 year old more than one chance to obey me.  I let her get away with more if she is tired or hungry or emotional.  Overall, I liked the message of parenting the heart, but found implementing it with very young children a challenge.

3. Legend by Marie Lu
I had high hopes for this dystopian young adult novel.  I'm still not sure why I didn't enjoy it more.  I think the characters didn't make an impression and that is huge for me.  If I don't love (or hate) the characters, then the book is always a disappointment.  Many people love this novel, though, and it's the first in a trilogy so check it out if you like young adult.  I won't be reading anymore of this series.

4. My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson
This book I loved.  I can't adequately describe it myself, so here is an excerpt from The Book Smugglers review on Goodreads:

...carefully crafted novel that follows the story of a group of Iñupiaq, Native American and white children who are sent to a Catholic boarding school in Alaska in the 60s. Although some of the characters and events are inspired by the author’s husband’s childhood experiences, My Name is Not Easy is mostly a fictional account of a complex period in Alaska’s history. In the early 60s, Alaskan parents had to send their kids away to boarding schools where the children were introduced to and forced to practice new ways of life – eating completely different food than they are used to, learning a new belief system, forbidden to use their own language not to mention being torn apart from their family and everything they had ever known.

It is awesome.  Go read it.  Plus, it's short. Added bonus for you non-readers out there.

5. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.
I will always indulge in Cassie Clare's novels.  They are fun to read and there is always wonderful tension between the male and female protagonists.  I actually shed a few tears while reading this one.  I totally blame being postpartum for that silliness.

Book Aspirations

Scheduled posts, out.  Random posts, in. 

I was thinking how cool it would be to make one of my New Years Resolutions (I guess next year?  I suppose you could do it anytime, but New Years always motivates me) to read the entirety of some author's work.  For example, read every book written by Charles Dickens in the year 2013.  Except not him, because every time I try to read one of his books I get confused and frustrated because I have to look up too many words and end up not finishing it.  I believe the only Dickens' book I have finished in it's entirety is Hard Times which isn't saying much since it's really short.

So maybe someone else, but I don't know who I would choose. Here are my Top 5 candidates in random order:

1.  William Shakespeare- Of course! He is very important/influential in the literary world so I think it would be interesting (and possibly eye opening) to read his completed works.
2.  Jack London
3.  Stephen King (but he's written a ton of novels so maybe not very feasible)
4. Pearl S. Buck- I chose her because she wrote one of my all-time favorite novels ever (The Good Earth), but I've never read anything else she has written.
5. Philip Yancey-Yancey for me has been hit or miss so far.  What's So Amazing About Grace? changed my life, but his book entitled Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?...not so much.   I really admire him though and think reading all his works would be a very worthwhile endeavour.

Who would you choose?

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

YOU ALL. Listen. You know how sometimes you are maybe somewhere and you get asked, "If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be"? Well, I never have an answer to that question. Never! BUT, now I do. Hands down, without a doubt, I want to spend some time with Mary Frances Nolan, the protagonist of this most excellent novel. Francie is the most precious heroine in the world and I think will forever be one of my most favorites.

I don't have the patience for plot summaries and all that, but it is a coming of age story and takes place in (surprise, surprise) Brooklyn, in the early 1900s. Here's the Goodreads Book Blurb: The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

And, there ya go. Here are some of my favorite quotes...although, really, pretty much everything that comes out of Francie's mouth is charming.

Responding to her brother's claim of getting drunk she says:
"I've been drunk too...last spring, I saw a tulip for the first time in my life...Well, when I looked at it, the way it was growing, and how the leaves were, and how purely red the petals were, with yellow inside, the world turned upside down and everything went around like the colors in a kaleidoscope-like you said. I was so dizzy I had to sit on a park bench...I don't need to drink to get drunk. I can get drunk on things like the tulip".

 PRECIOUS, right??

And another:
"No! I don't want to need anybody. I want someone to need me...I want someone to need me." 

Yes, don't we all?

One more, quoting her granma:
"To look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory."

Ohhhh, I just love this book and I love Francie Nolan.

Book Love: Library Love

My apologies, readers, for dropping the ball(s) on my planned post(s).  But, onward and upward.  Today I bring you some book loooove.  Let's talk the libary, shall we?  Is the library the bestest and awesomest institution ever or what?  It is a secret dream of mine to work in a library one day.   I use the word secret loosely. 

So, today, my mother graciously volunteered to baby-sit my babies while they slept (gotta love joint nap-times) so I could go to the library and actually look around instead of zooming through.  Here's what I checked out:

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Goodreads Book Blurb:
It happened like this.

I was stolen from an airport.
Taken from everything I knew,
everything I was used to.
Taken to sand and heat, dirt
and danger. And he expected
me to love him. This is my story.

A letter from nowhere. 

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor BrownAmazon Book Blurb:

Three sisters have returned to their childhood home, reuniting the eccentric Andreas family. Here, books are a passion (there is no problem a library card can't solve) and TV is something other people watch. Their father-a professor of Shakespeare who speaks almost exclusively in verse-named them after the Bard's heroines. It's a lot to live up to.
The sisters have a hard time communicating with their parents and their lovers, but especially with one another. What can the shy homebody eldest sister, the fast-living middle child, and the bohemian youngest sibling have in common? Only that none has found life to be what was expected; and now, faced with their parents' frailty and their own personal disappointments, not even a book can solve what ails them...

Show More

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Goodreads Book Blurb:Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Show Less

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

Goodreads Book Blurb:The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni's stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town. There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.  

I realize that three out of four of them are kind of darkish, but really they're not (except for maybe Stolen).  They are all pretty easy reads.  I've never heard of the Weird Sisters, but I liked the title and the 3 girls are all named after Shakepearian characters (Rosalind, Bianca, and Cordelia) so how could I not read it?!

As for my Wednesday post, I will try to post a few kids activities we did last week either later today or tomorrow!

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral

Book blurb from Goodreads: After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As readers flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, they see a girl on the precipice of disaster.


So.  This book was a brand new experience for me.  Glory's story is told non-traditionally in pictures, photographs, and words.  I suppose someone somewhere has done this before.  I have not been privvy to this type of book before so it felt very new to me.  I finished it start to finish in about 45 minutes and I was being somewhat leisurely. 


Glory is a piano prodigy.  Her mother is dead and her father is raising her solo.  She begins a relationship with "the boy next door", Francisco Mendoza, somewhere in those wild, turbulent, crazy, maddening high-school years.  The story of her rise and fall is told mostly through correspondance between the two of them.  The author and illustrator use everything from ticket stubs to oil paintings to actual photographs to convey what is happening to Glory, both in the outside world and inside her mind.  It is not a "happy" story, but neither is it likely to leave you needing tissues.  


What I loved about this book is the uniqueness of this format.  I really enjoyed engaging my sense of sight while reading.  It was intriguing to see the story through the author and illustrator's eyes.  I wouldn't want to read these books all the time (generally speaking, I like EPIC tales of monstrous proportions), but it was a very enjoyable experience that I would repeat again at some point.


As far as the story goes, I thought it was very good.  I was engaged in the story as it went along, never got bored and I never saw the twist coming.  Call me dumb or the author excellent, I was blind sided.  I did not love, however, the open ending.  I really like closure and this book left me making up my own ending.  Dislike.  Most of it is wrapped up except for a very obvious missing element.  And that's all I will say about that. 


Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

RUT

That's right.  R. U. T.  Rut.  My parents came and visited and then they left and I am in a funk about it.  Funk, funk, funk.  Until about an hour ago, I was still wearing the PJ's I wore all day yesterday.  That's right.  Judge away.  Plus, Hubby is gone...again.  I swear, I only see that boy about 10% of the time.  Also, looks like he might be going to yet another 2 week course end of May.  Bleh.  I don't understand why people think being an army wife is so great.  They must see their husbands more than me.  Or maybe they just dont care if they see their husbands or not!  Or maybe they are just so proud of their husbands that they feel it is worth the sacrifice.  I don't really feel like that.  I mean, I can feel like that for a deployment, but what about the rest of the time?  I haven't gotten any consistent time with my husband (any consistent dinners or weekends I mean) since last may.  That is redonkulous.   He had a couple of easy weeks at Christmas, but 2 weeks don't cancel out months of absences!  I mean, is my daughter supposed to grow up barely seeing her daddy?  I dont like it.  But, no surprise there.

One of these days I will get my pictures organized and will post about Baby Girl's 1st birthday and also about the 4 places we traveled with mom and dad (Neuschwanstein Castle, Regensberg, Bamberg, and Prague).   We did have a lot of fun.  I wish Hubs could have gone with us everywhere.  At least he got to take a 2 hour lunch break the day they left so I didn't have to take them to the airport alone.  I would have been a total wreck!  It was really beautiful weather.  I will try to post some pics soon.  Maybe even tonight. 

 I am currently reading "Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean M. Auel.  It came out the year before I was born!  It's pretty good so far.  It all about Cave People and they way they live.  Then this little blond chick comes along who is more like the modern day human and she basically rocks their world.   It is a series of books-maybe 7 or 8.  They are all really long.  I've gotten into reading these massive epic books/series lately.  Yes, I am currently reading 3 books that all have about 600 pages and are all part of a larger series.  I don't know how that happened.  I've been reading Robert Jordan for a long time (I'm on book 9 out of 14) and then I started reading George RR Martin (book 1) which Hubby stole so I started this Cave Bear book.  I think I am going to stick to Cave Bear and finish it or else I'll be reading all 3 for the next 2 months.  Plus I have to return it to the libary May 17th. 


Speaking of May, I have 2 formal balls to go to and nothing to wear!  Well, if Hubby goes to that 2 week course, maybe I will only have one to go to.  But either way, I have nothing to wear!  Like, really.  I have one cocktail dress and one formal gown and I'm pretty sure I've outgrown them both.  However, Hubs got a promotion so maybe he'll let me buy a new dress ;-)  I just have to find an affordable dress in Germany....that might prove to be challenging since clothes here are so expensive!  Oh, America, I miss you!!  It is kind of fun to dress up, but I wish I had some friends here.  One of my friends gets to go to one of the balls so yay!  She probably has a ton of dresses because she loves dressing up, but she's only 5'2" so that wont work for my tall butt!


Anyway, I think I'm done rambling for the day.  Hopefully, I will be out of my rut soon.  Hubs comes home tomorrow and should have the entire weekend off so that should help my funk out.  The weather is nice so maybe we can do something outdoors.   Grill out or just take a walk.  Hope everyone has a fun weekend and I'll post some pictures soon! 

To finish or not to finish

It's not actually a debate.  I am not finishing the blog challenge.  You know those people who say "Once I start a book (or a movie or a project or whatever), I have to finish it"?  I am not one of those people.  I used to be that person in high-school.  It seems the older I get, the more laid back I get.  Is that backwards or normal I wonder.  Anyway, I am that person no more and the Blog Challenge is now dead. 

In it's place is Joy of Luck.  Maybe you heard about Joy of Love going on back in February?  I did not partake in that (a month is too long of a commitment for me).  However, the Joy of Luck is only a week...I think.  Something like that.  Basically, you get daily emails from Kelly McWillette of Willette Designs. Within these emails are prompts to photograph different aspects of your life.  If you want to join in, here is the link: Joy of Luck.

Now, I have to forwarn you that I am a really bad photographer.  I take good pictures of people smiling at the camera and that is it.  I am not creative nor do I understand lighting or angles.  So, now that you've been forwarned, I hope your expectations are nice and low. 

Joy of Luck, Day One Prompt: What inanimate object/thing/concept is something that you take for granted on a daily basis? What would someone who is not as fortunate as you are say about your “luck” to have such a thing in your life? Think about your blessings today – (don’t focus on people for this one…that will come later)…focus on opportunity/experience/something you have/do EVERYDAY that is an unforeseen blessing in your life. Key word : GIFT


Kelly always shows you her photo as well to give you an idea I suppose.  She showed a picture of a book to represent her education.  I also have a picture of a book, which I did not steal from her.  As soon as I read the first sentence and before I saw her picture, I knew I would choose books.  It does kind of look like her picture, but that can't be helped.   I took several pictures and this one was the best one. 

Here are some my failings:

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
So, books.  I am basically obsessed.  I read every day and could read all day if given the chance.  I watch TV while I eat and fold clothes.  Any other free time, I read.  Books are my escape which is sometimes bad, but not so bad that it is an issue.  I never ignore the Hubs or the Baby to read.  I am pretty anal about putting my family before my books.  I learned that lesson already when me and Hubby first got married ;-)  Having the ability to read, for me, is absolutely priceless.  It is something I take for granted, but if it was taken away, my heart would seriously break. No joke.
 
Ok, Joy of Luck done.  Now I am going to post a picture of books just because I want to. 

Starting in the top left position going clockwise we have:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (I am a sucker for Fiction)

all of Jane Austen's novels (that is the English major in me escaping)

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (one of the three books I'm currently reading)

Five Silly Monkeys (Baby Girl's current favorite)

Adam Bede by George Elliot (one of my favorite "classics")

Extraordinary Parents by Lynn Fielding (I devour parenting books)

And, last but not least I will leave you with a picture of Baby Girl because she is SO DANG CUTE (If I were a cussing girl I would say the bad D word because she really is friggin' adorable).

New Moon Premiere

I have SO much catching up to do! I just can't do it. Sorry.

Basically, we're pregnant, moving to Oklahoma in April/May until August, & then moving to only God knows where right now :) But I promise to keep you updated.

So, instead of trying to catch you up, I thought I would just post pictures from the New Moon Premiere, which was so FUN! I went with St. Mary's girls & really had a blast. I didn't get home until 3AM & wasn't even tired! I was, however, quite sleepy the next day :)



Oh yeah-I run with werewolves. Much more manly than pasty creatures who feast on animal blood. & I'm pretty convinced that if my man were a monster, he would definitely be a werewolf. (But I'm glad he's just human-plain humans are the best really)



Me, Dee, Margo, Kelly, Tiffany


Tiffany, Mary


Nick Megan Ashley



The Team Jacob's unite!! Betty, me, Margo. We were WAY outnumbered! Very few people have taste these days ;)


I think I love Dawn even more than I already did because of her face in this picture :)


See how close we were to the front of the line? That's dedication.



The whole gang! LOVE these girls!

Forks!

I am so sorry I've been MIA! Life tends to get in the way of my blogging :)
Anyway, so my goooaaalll is to post daily until I catch up. I have to finish vacation first....which leads us to Forks!!

Forks is so cool! Not really cool cuz it's a little teeny town without much going on but, I mean, it's Forks! We took a day trip down there from Seattle & had a TON of fun!

Here's some pics:

City of Bones Playlist

OK, I totally ripped this idea off of Stephenie Meyer's website, but I loved the idea of playlists that go along with books! So I made playlists for all 3 of the Mortal Instrument Series and I think they are pretty flippin' rad. The only song I couldn't find for this 1st playlist (City of Bones) was "Black Cloud" by Morrissey (which is obviously from Simon's perspective). It should go in between "Hands Down" and "Thousand Mile Wish", but oh well. Hope you enjoy!

Books-what else?

I suppose some of my posts do not involve books, but books truly are my favorite topic. I am crazy-lovin' this one series of books & I had to share. Drum roll please....or not.







They are sooooo good!!
It's full of mythical creatures like half-demons & half-angels & warlocks (humans too)...basically good against evil kinda stuff.
If you liked Twilight, you'll love Mortal Instuments (by Cassandra Clare).
Go read! Now!!

addictions

I do realize that when most people hear that word, it is very serious and ominous, but of course that's not what I mean. Lately, I have been very aware of how many "addictions" I have-they really are addictions, although you also probably classify them as bad habits. (but let's not get into all my bad habits. you truly do not have the time.)

Firstly, I am addicted to both the Mark of the Lion series & the Twilight series. It's bad, I put one down to show self-control & then I just pick the other one up. I read them both last night while Shaffer slept.

Secondly, I am addicted to my ipod. I listen to it all the time. I take it in the car with me, in the shower (I have a speaker), while I cook, while I clean (ok, to be honest, that one is not very often), I will turn it on even if all I have to do is put my socks on!

Thirdly, I am addicted to sleep. I have had 4 days off (a small miracle) and so far I have slept for 10 hours every night. This is very unlike me, but I can't say I haven't enjoyed it. :)

Between books, music, & sleep I am very effectively wasting time. But today, I am going to hang out with some girls & then Dawn & Zac are coming over later for pizza & who knows what else. So not all my time is being frivilously spent :)

Right now, it looks sunny, but I'm scared it's cold. The weather through a window can be so deceiving.

Are you a spiritual narcissist or just a plain nut?

haha! what a funny thing to say!
my inspiration is solely from dr. larry crabb & j.i. packer :)

what they mean is that a vast amount of people in the modern church concern themselves more with becoming godly than with God Himself!! can you even imagine? it sounds ridiculous, but we all do it at times, don't we? i start freaking out if i go too many days without a quiet time, but if i examine it closely my freaking out stems out of the knowledge that without quiet times, I am headed down the road to despair. not so much concerned with the fact that i'm not encountering GOD. j. i. packer says, "while my fellow believers are constantly seeking to advance themselves in godliness, they show little direct interest in god himself...there is someting narcissistic and, to tell the truth, nutty in being more concerned about godliness than about god". larry crabb goes on to explain that we have turned god into "the helpful god of useful principles" & we have turned ourselves into "understandable strugglers who deserve to be understood and helped".

in actuality, God is a holy god of passionate wrath & we are arrogant people who deserve eternal misery. but we dont like that, do we? no, we like for people to overlook our sin because of the suffering we have to face. we want to be sympathized with for our negative upbringings & we want a hug, not a scolding. we can't live like this! the truth is, we do get a hug when we turn to jesus, but expecting a hug is what dietrich bonhoeffer calls CHEAP GRACE.

i think i might be a spiritual narcissist. there is a verse in colossians (1:18) that says, "He is also head of the body, the church..." & I was thinking about it & it hit me that Jesus Christ is an active member of my church! i know it sounds so dumb, but i had made church a place for ME to grow, for ME to worship, for ME to fellowship. Narcissistic!!!!! holy cow, i'm tired.

if you are interested in these ideas, go read shattered dreams by larry crabb or borrow it from me. i didn't agree with everything he said, but it definitely made me think :)

BOOKS

Is it possible to be in love with books? No, I'm serious. I may be flirting with disaster by saying this, but I do not know what my life would be like without books. It may take one of 2 roads. It may go down the TV path where I would watch TV every day & every night for hours. That may be one of the most depressing thoughts I have ever had.

OR, it may take the meditative path where I am forced to just sit around & think about life & love & God & scripture. In that case, the eradication of all books in my life would be a positive thing.

Since (hopefully) my life will never be void of books, I don't really need to worry about it.

But, sometimes I do think about how people who read all the time catch a lot less slack than people who watch TV a lot or throw themselves into physical exercise. Reading can become just as much as an avoidance to real life as any other activity. Reading can hinder your relationship with God & it can become an idol just like anything else. Of course, if you're reading the Bible all day long, well, that's a different story all together.

But I don't read the Bible all day long. I read it every day which is a step in the right direction & I even try to read 10 pages of a Christian author every day. Want to know how many pages of fiction I read every day? Well, I won't tell you that because it makes my 10 pages & 2-3 Biblical chapters look mighty pitiful.

This entry started out as an ode to books & instead I am scolding myself! I am only human & I do believe that reading a book about the Californian gold rush for 3 hours will harm you less than watching Friends for the same amount of time (which I also do on occasion).

Bottom line is I love Jesus more than books, but I love books about as much as I love air :)

& one day in heaven I am going to have a library like this one:

& before you ask, of course I will share my treasure with you.

*please note that this is a light-hearted entry & try not to read too much into the theology behind it, because, well, because there isn't any :) !!

shame on me

really! it is has been so long since i have written anything.
actually, i have been in complete anti-productive mode as of late. i really do nothing even worth mentioning. but what the hey-i'll mention it anyway.
i gets lots of sleep. too much really so i stay tired all the time.
i have watched 2 seasons of felicity, but am now fasting from the tv for 4 days-we'll see how that one works out ;-)
i started a puzzle & that has brought more reward than i anticipated.
i am reading 2 books: "Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton & "When Godly People do Ungodly Things" by Beth Moore. both are very good.
my father just finished a book called "Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt. yes, it is about economics, but highly entertaining & i would recommend it to most anyone.
i got glasses (i know! can you even imagine?)
i am working on my resume (gag) & looking for a place to live.
well, that is seriously all i have to say.
this is no lie, this is my life.