A Random Bit From My Life

Check out these Old Curiosity Shop themed dishes I was gifted yesterday! The set isn't complete (I'm missing the clock plates) and a few were chipped, but they were perfect to use for dinner during my book club's meeting last night. And timely too! We met to discuss Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. As always we had a delightful time of discussion and enjoyed some excellent food.

A Bit About My Personal Library

Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them
–Arnold Lobel

We moved three weeks ago and this morning I finally unpacked the last of the boxes, which only waited this long because they contained our personal library. Being an avid bibliophile it has pained me to leave the books boxed up for over a month, but as our new home does not have any built in bookcases (our old one did) and we only own one freestanding bookcase there was simply no place to unpack the books... Until I got the idea (thanks to a gal in my book club) to unpack and use the boxes as temporary bookshelves.

And so today I did just that. Here is a glimpse of our personal library (not yet sorted and almost in its entirety -- about a dozen or so childrens books are upstairs in my daughter's room on the freestanding bookshelf):

 

 I'd love to get a couple of floor to ceiling bookshelves here, but realize it could be a few months before that happens. Meanwhile... at least I can access our library of books!

2011: A Reading Year in Review

So here we are at the end of the year and as I reflect back I am amazed at all that has occurred. I wonder how I even found time to read. Between my pregnancy and our traveling I had little attention span and even less time. I guess that accounts for all the "light" reading I did (lots and lots of "cozy-mystery" stories). In fact, I find it interesting to note that my reading total for 2011 is only slightly higher at the end of the year than it was at the end of 2007. I find this fitting considering the fact that in both 2007 and 2011 I spent most of the year either being pregnant or caring for an infant -- those two things alone make it difficult to find quiet time to read. Still, I didn't give up my passion for books entirely, but read as time allowed. And so, as has become tradition (see my postings in 2008, 2009, and 2010.) I want to post a recap of the year by listing some statistics about the books I have read and highlight what I believe were the best and worst reads of the year. (** Note: The books that I have reviewed are hyperlinked to my review and you can view them by clicking on the title and author. ** )

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2011: 53 (listed here)


LONGEST READ IN 2011: Known & Unknown by Donald Rumsfeld at 832 pages.

SHORTEST READ IN 2011: Antigone by Sophocles at 116 pages.

BEST BOOK DISCOVERY in 2011: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. Recommended by a friend I began reading this book knowing nothing about its subject. In the end I came away with the feeling that Unbroken was one of the most powerful books I had ever read. Definitely worthwhile reading!

WORST BOOK DISCOVERY in 2011: The Blue Rose: An English Garden Mystery by Anthony Eglin. This wasn't an awful book, but it certainly wasn't great. It had a lot of potential, but in the end I found it full of cliches and very predictable. It was so-so and I didn't bother to look up any other books in the series.

FAVORITE CLASSIC READ IN 2011: Considering I only read a couple "classics" I don't have a long list to choose from. Still, I think I'd have to say my favorite this year was: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It has been on my "To read" list for several years and I was excited to finally read it. It was definitely a worthwhile read.

BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2011: Keeping up both reading and blogging in spite of how hectic my life was between traveling to family weddings and funerals, working a part-time job, taking care of my active 4 year old, and being pregnant... Oh and hosting the third annual Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge during my 8th month of pregnancy.

BIGGEST FAILURE TO COMPLETE IN 2011: There were several books I picked up, began reading and then gave up. I won't list them here, but I will admit that what I consider more of a "failure" was my writing. I really slacked off in reviewing the books I read. In fact, I am ending 2011 with an even worse record of reviews than I did in 2010. As things stand right now I have 16 books un-reviewed compared to the 7 I left un-reviewed at the end of 2010. Still in debate as to whether it's too late for me to post something.. I did catch up on my 2010 reviews in early 2011, so maybe I'll catch up on 2011 in 2012. We shall see.

TOP 5 BOOKS IN 2011 THAT SURPRISED ME (in order as read):
1. The Belfry by May Sinclair
2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
3. Chaff in the Wind by Edna Walker Chandler
4. Antigone by Sophocles
5. The Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse


GREATEST READING ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2011: I did not read any mega books in 2011. As I look back over the year and all that occurred I think my biggest accomplishment was that I kept reading. There were so many times when I didn't have time or energy or mental ability to sit and focus, but I kept going. I read as time allowed, I read what interested me, and I read when I felt like it. In the end I have reached the end of the year and feel somewhat revived and ready to tackle a new year. It'll be interesting to see what I accomplish in 2012.

TOP 5 BOOKS I WISH I HAD READ AND PLAN TO READ IN 2012:
1. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
2. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
4. True Grit by Charles Portis
5. Snow White by Donald Barthelme


TOP FIVE FAVORITE READS IN 2011:
1. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
3. The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne
4. Gaudy Night: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery with Harriet Vane by Dorothy L. Sayers  
5. They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie


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And so, as was the case in 2011 I will probably just strive to achieve a healthy balance in my life. I want to keep reading and I'd like to keep this blog running, but not to the extent of my family or work suffering. I guess I'll just take things as they come. To echo what I said last year: In the new year I may only read a half dozen books or I may find time to read 100. I may only review my favorites or I may review them all. Whatever happens I am sure the journey will be fun. So here's to 2012! I hope you'll stick around and see where it takes us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Book A Day for Christmas and Other Plans

Last year I had great aspirations for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Last year I really wanted to start some specific traditions with my daughter, but alas a few unexpected turn of events prevented me from doing more than the bare minimum. But I am stating it here and now: THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT!

And I'm not just saying that. It really is a fact. Things WILL be different this year. For starters we are expecting our second child sometime in the next few weeks and as such I will be on maternity leave from my at-home-part-time job, which allows for more time with family. The arrival of our baby also means we will NOT be traveling this year, but staying close to home. And so, based on these changes I am making plans to spend as much time as possible enjoying my two children and exploring the holidays, particularly Christmas through the eyes of the eldest.

One tradition I want to start is a to read a "book a day for Christmas," an idea I snagged from Annette at Live, Learn, Love. I have started a list of 25 Christmas books that I will read aloud to my daughter over the course of December. Because I know these books are popular I have already started to request them from my local library. As the month progresses I hope to post comments about my favorite reads either here, or at least on Facebook and Twitter. (So if you're curious be sure to "Like" my blog page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.)

Another tradition I want to establish is the celebration of Advent. I have been looking for some time and finally tracked down what I believe will be an age-appropriate devotional book for the advent season. However, since the book is still en-route to me I am not quite ready to post and recommend it. If, once I receive it, I decide it's exactly what I'm looking for I will be sure to let you know. (I sure hope it is!)

Tieing in with the advent theme I can't wait to unwrap the beautiful advent calendar that my mother-in-law sewed for us last year. Because we received it as a Christmas gift in 2010 we have yet to use it, but it's here ready and waiting and I am excited to bring it out at the end of the month when we start in on the devotionals.

Last, but not least I have also started to plan and prep some simple crafts and baking plans that I can share with my four year old. I realize life will be a little hectic with a newborn, but they do sleep a lot in the first few weeks so I plan to take advantage of those times to create some special memories with the eldest.


And as time allows I am hoping to celebrate the season within my own reading. I have read some excellent holiday books in the past and I hope to find a few more to read this year. I am open to suggestions/recommendations, so if you have reviewed or know of a great holiday read be sure to leave a comment and let me know.

What about you? Do you have special plans for the holiday season? Please be sure to leave a comment and let me know or link to your own post.

What's on my Nightstand: September 2011

Well, I almost nearly bombed my August nightstand list by not finishing any of the books I claimed I would read... nearly because I did finish one. I keep telling myself that this lack of reading and blogging is just a passing funk; or perhaps I need a reality check and it's the time of life I am in and thus I should just put an end to it. In reality I don't think it helps that since the spring I have been: juggling: a 15-20 hour a week job, running a house and keeping my family fed, raising a 4 year old, trying to spend time with the love of my life and husband of 9 years, trying to maintain a regular exercise routine... oh and growing our next child (next week marks the 8 month mark).

Whatever the reason my blogging has taken a nose dive. I just can't keep up. Reading is just as bad. I struggle to keep my attention to any book I pick up. I've lost count on the number books (both classic and modern, tough and simple) I've started to read and then lost interest and returned to the library. As noted above, since last month's nightstand post I only finished ONE book, Entwined by Heather Dixon. It's a retelling of a fairytale. It was simple. It was entertaining. It was a light read and I hope to review it some time this fall.

As to the other two books listed in that post... I have nearly finished First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis. I have really enjoyed the book, but find it difficult to slip in time for audio books (e.g. the format this book is in). On the other hand I didn't particularly like The Man of Property by John Galsworthy and I gave up on it around page 80 or 90. I just couldn't care enough about the Forsyte family to persevere. Maybe one day I'll return and finish the book.... We'll see.

As for the coming month...
It's the end of September and by now I should have re-read Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, portions of Plutarch's Lives, and the second chapter of The Passion of the Western Mind for this week's book club. As things stand I believe I'll get the second chapter of TPWM read, but will lose out on the other two.

If I could be so bold as to list what books await me on my nightstand I would make the claim that by this time in October I will have read:

• The Golden Wedge by Maud & Delos Lovelace
• What Cabrillo Found by Maud Hart Lovelace
• They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie
• Tramp for the Lord by Corrie TenBoom
• The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
• Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls by Jonathan Bean

But since I will be heading into my 9th month of pregnancy, wrapping up work before going on maternity leave, AND hosting the 3rd annual Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge  on top of everything else I am doing... Yeah I am not going to make any serious claims.

I do hope to at least succeed in another great year for the MHLRC. If you haven't already checked it out, be sure to come back on Saturday when I post the sign-up. It's going to be a fun time -- ready or not!

What about you? Have you had a successful month of reading? What have you read and loved? Or read and tossed aside? Leave me a comment or head over to 5 Minutes for Books to link up your own September Nightstand posting.

Just Another Reason Why I Love My Local Library

Last year I posted that our local library was undergoing a major change -- total demolition to make way for a brand new "green" library that would be 6x's the size of the old building. Today was the grand opening of the new building.

We missed the ribbon cutting ceremony, but arrived in time for some of the final children's activities, including a great music time/story telling/puppet show by a local kids entertainer.

From the moment we walked into the children's room my daughter was completely enthralled.

Besides all the new books, music, and movies the room includes a train table, checker board, puppet theater and flannel board, kid's computers (with learning games) and little tables and chairs with an assortment of puzzles. I can see many a rainy afternoon spent in this room, but I don't mind!

I only had a moment to check out the other areas, including the amazing gas fireplace and reading area for adults, but from what I saw I am in love. This is such a bright, beautiful and amazing new library. I am so happy I get to regularly visit it!

The latest...

This morning I realized it has been over a week since my last blog post. The lack of posting has nothing to do with a lack of reading. I am working my way through a 800 page book, which due to its length and the limited time frame in which I have to read leaves me little time for blogging.

Stay tuned as I expect to surface by the end of the week and I am already planning some book reviews and other fun posts for the next few weeks.

2010: A Year In Review

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."
~ Robert Burns

As is evident from my silence for the last month plus the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 did not go exactly as I had hoped. It's still a little early to say whether life will permit me to return to a regular schedule of posting in this blogging world, but for now I will take what I can get.

Before we get any further into the year I thought I would return to the tradition of the last two years (2008, 2009) and recap the last year by listing some fun statistics and highlight what I believe were the best and worst reads of the year. (** Note: All books that I have reviewed are hyperlinked to my review and you can view them by clicking on the title and author. ** )

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2010: 53 (listed here, just over half what I read in 2009)

TOTAL PAGES READ IN 2010: 18,120 pages. (Though on average I read longer books in 2010 than I did in 2009. Ex: Average page count in '10: 341.89 compared with 2009, which had an average page count of 268.29)

LONGEST READ IN 2010: The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope at 802 pages.

SHORTEST READ IN 2010 (excluding children's books): The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald at 180 pages.

BEST BOOK DISCOVERY in 2010: Mrs. Tim of the Regiment by D. E. Stevenson. While it wouldn't win any book awards, this was a very witty and entertaining read. And it led me to read the rest of the series (four books total), which I likewise enjoyed... No... I didn't just enjoy. I grew to love the characters within. Delightful series, all worthy of a read.

WORST BOOK DISCOVERY in 2010: I do not think there was one book I read last year that I "hated," though there were a few I didn't really care for. Perhaps the Girls Night Out short stories collection. Some of the short stories were good, some fair, and some just lousy. All-in-all I was not impressed and I gave the book back to the library. In the end I consider this an improvement from 2009.

FAVORITE CLASSIC READ IN 2010: The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope

BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2010: Hosting the second annual Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge right after participating twice in the Agatha Christie Blog Tour.

BIGGEST FAILURE TO COMPLETE IN 2010: My blog. I ended 2010 without the time to finish reviewing my reads. I left 7 books un-reviewed. Still in debate as to whether it's too late for me to post something.

TOP 5 BOOKS IN 2010 THAT SURPRISED ME (in order as read):
1. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
2. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
5. The Classic Hundred Poems: All Time Favorites Edited by William Harmon

GREATEST READING ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2010: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky wins this category not simply because of it's length (702 pages), but also for it's genre: Russian Literature, and it's era: 19th century. This was a hefty read, but well worth the effort. In second place, The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope for it's length at 802 pages. Another worthy read.

TOP 5 BOOKS I WISH I HAD READ AND PLAN TO READ IN 2011:
1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (this is a carry over from 2009 and 2010)
2. A Study in Scarlet by Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle
3. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
4. Something by Dorothy Sayres.
5. John James Audubon: The Making of an American by Richard Rhodes

TOP FIVE FAVORITE READS IN 2010:
1. Lavender And Old Lace by Myrtle Reed
2. The Blue Sapphire by D. E. Stevenson
3. So Long Insecurity, You've Been a Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore
4. An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
5. Gentlemen From England by Maud & Delos Lovelace

TOP FIVE LEAST FAVORITE BOOKS IN 2010 (in order as read):
1. Girls Night Out edited by Carole Matthews - didn't finish.
2. The Master's Violin by Myrtle Reed
3. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
4. The Importance of Being Married by Gemma Townley
5. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

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In closing I turn my attention to the new year. I am excited about 2011. I think it has a lot of potential. For me as a reader, 2009 was an astounding year. I read 101 books and reviewed every single one, quite a personal achievement. On the other hand, 2010 was a difficult year. I only read 53 books, but I did so to quench my insatiable thirst for reading all the while juggling my increasingly busy life. But this year, 2011 -- I hope to achieve balance. Yes, I want to keep reading and I'd like to keep reviewing, but foremost I need to find a healthy balance between my relationships, my career, and my hobbies. I may only read a half dozen books or I may find time to read 100. I may only review my favorites or I may review them all. Whatever happens I am sure the journey will be fun. So here's to 2011. I hope you'll stick around and see where it takes us.

Leave of Absence

I have been putting of making this announcement for some time because I kept hoping my life would change and I could return to my regular schedule, but it has not and I now must face the facts. With everything that is expected of me I do not have any downtime to maintain a blog, let alone do anything much for entertainment. I don't even have time to read. (HORRORS!!!)

This phase of life should be temporary, in fact I'm hoping it to be over by the first of January (best case scenario) or the end of January (worst case scenario).

I am afraid I will lose all my regular readers during this leave of absence, but I hope that isn't the case. Please follow me on twitter as I still manage a tweet or three a day. If you don't have twitter then I encourage you to check back after the first of the year. As soon as I can return to a normal schedule I will post a notice.

Thanks and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Sorry, We're temporarily Closed - Management on Holiday

Well, this week and last week did not go quite as I had anticipated. As is the case with any small business, organization, office if an employee departs before you have a chance to replace them the work must be handled by someone. This happened in my office last week and the someone happens to be me. So, as most are winding down for the holidays, I have been doing double-time just to tie up loose ends and keep all the proverbial "ducks in a row." It's Wednesday afternoon and I'm finally finished and have turned to my own family holiday preparations. As such, I have had little time to read and no time for blogging. And so I am declaring myself a blogging holiday! For the remainder of the week I am going to do my best to avoid blogger and twitter and instead spend a lot of time with my family.

So, to all my American friends, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! I'll see you all back here next week with some more book reviews!

Reading Meme

I snagged this reading meme from a friend's note on Facebook because I thought it was a fun idea. I did this once before a couple years ago, but it was before this blog so I thought it would be fun to-take and post.

Honestly, I don't think this list is exhaustive. There are MANY books that should be on this list, but are not. There are also several books listed that I don't believe should be. They are NOT literature in the classic sense of the word, but perhaps BBC is just looking for popular works over the ages? And there are a few cases of repetition. The complete Chronicles of Narnia series is listed, but then a separate Narnia title is also listed. Also the complete works of Shakespeare are listed and then further down Hamlet makes the list. I'm not sure why these are listed twice as that seems like cheating, but I didn't put together the list, so oh well. I hope you'll enjoy playing along.

BBC READING MEME:
Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

Instructions: Bold those books you've read in their entirety Italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read an excerpt. Tag other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11. Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18. The Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch – George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34. Emma – Jane Austen
35. Persuasion – Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis (repetitive see 33)
37. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere
39. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41. Animal Farm – George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50. Atonement – Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52. Dune – Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens (about to read this in Jan)
58. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72. Dracula – Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses – James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal – Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession – AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94. Watership Down – Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

The only thing I don't like about this list (except from what I posted above) is that seeing a list like this makes me feel as though I have not read enough! Yet I've read hundreds of books in the last couple years. There's just so much out there to read. On this list I've only read 36 of the books listed, but a few more are on my list to read within 2011 and a few will never make that list. What about you? How many of these books have you read? Leave me a comment and let me know, or link up your own post.

Happy reading!

Literary Meme - Answers

I must confess I am little disappointed I didn't get more guesses on Monday's Literary Meme post. Maybe they were harder than I thought? Or maybe everyone is recovering from a busy October. At any rate I promised to post the answers later in the week, so here I am.

The following titles are five of my favorite books; not all-time top five favorite, but definitely five books I have read, I have loved, and I think you should read! (When available I have linked the title to my review.)

~*~

1. "All the Hill was boiling with excitement. On every side there rose a continual chattering and squeaking, whispering and whistling, as the Animals discussed the great news." -- Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

2. "London was enjoying the first day of spring; the clouds which had obscured the atmosphere for weeks had been swept away in the night and the old grey city was stretching herself and relaxing happily in mild air and golden sunshine." -- The Blue Sapphire by D. E. Stevenson

3. "A rickety carriage was slowly ascending the hill, and from the place of honour on the back seat, the single passenger surveyed the country with interest and admiration." -- Lavender And Old Lace by Myrtle Reed

4. "London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets, as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill." -- Bleak House by Charles Dickens

5. "No man knew when the Shuttle began its slow and heavy weaving from shore to shore, that it was held and guided by the great hand of Fate." -- The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett

~*~

What about you? What are five books you have read, loved and think I should read? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Literary Meme

I have to admit I am feeling a little burnt out after the month of October, it was a busy reading and blogging month for me. So... I am taking a bit of a leave today and reusing a meme that I posted back in July of 2008. Mind you, I am changing up my selections, so don't think you can cheat by looking up what the answers from the previous post because you can't. That list was completely different from today's list. You can, however see my answers for the 2008 meme here.

1. Pick 5 of your favorite books. (Doesn't have to be your top 5, any 5 will do.)
2. Post the first sentence of each book. (If one sentence seems too short, post two or three!)
3. Let everyone try to guess the titles and authors of your books.

~*~

Since last week when Scholastic launched their "You are what you read" website I've been giving the concept of a "bookprint" a lot of thought. While the following five books aren't the ones I plan to list in my bookprint they are books I have read and that I have really enjoyed; some I've read once and others I've read more than once. Can you guess the titles and authors of these five books?

1. "All the Hill was boiling with excitement. On every side there rose a continual chattering and squeaking, whispering and whistling, as the Animals discussed the great news."

2. "London was enjoying the first day of spring; the clouds which had obscured the atmosphere for weeks had been swept away in the night and the old grey city was stretching herself and relaxing happily in mild air and golden sunshine."

3. "A rickety carriage was slowly ascending the hill, and from the place of honour on the back seat, the single passenger surveyed the country with interest and admiration."

4. "London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets, as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill."

5. "No man knew when the Shuttle began its slow and heavy weaving from shore to shore, that it was held and guided by the great hand of Fate."

~*~

Can you guess which five books these quotes came from? Leave a comment with your guesses and I'll post the answers later in the week.

P.S. Curious about some of the other book themed "memes" I've posted in the past? Click on the label "meme" to view all the memes dating back to 2008.

Friday Five Favs

Each week Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a recap post highlighting five favorite things from the previous week. I've never met Susanne, but learned of this weekly even via Carrie at Reading to Know. I don't always get a chance to participate, but I think it is a great way to remember to count my blessings, especially during those weeks where it feels they are few and far between, so thank you Susanne for this idea!

This week, although very busy seems to have a fair amount of things to make me happy. They are...

1. Indian Summer. Some people have been calling the weather we've been having as "Indian Summer," but I don't think that's technically correct considering the term usually applies after the leaves have changed and there's been a frost. We haven't had a frost yet and not all of the leaves have changed, so to me the beautiful weather we've had has just been the final weeks or days of our summer weather. Either way, whatever you call it, I love this time of the year. Being outside is so pleasant. I've been trying to take advantage of it and get my daughter to the park or to play in the back yard as much as possible. It's also that small window of time when I can leave the windows open, post AC, but pre heating. (P.S. That's actually a picture I took, isn't it pretty how the sunlight hits the water?)

2. The Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge. For some of you this may seem to be all I'm talking about these days... and maybe it is. We're two weeks into the month long reading challenge with another two weeks to go before this blog returns to its regularly scheduled programming. Thus far I have had a lot of fun. It's been really interesting to meet other fans of Maud Hart Lovelace and to read their excitement as they discuss their favorite (or in many cases their first) read. I am both thrilled and honored to get the chance to help readers rediscover (or discover) such a beloved author.

3. A mini-vacation of sorts. This week we had the unexpected opportunity to house-sit for some friends. It's not really a vacation because my husband and I still had to work, but it did mean getting away from our house and hour chores to get to stay somewhere else and experience the blessings contained in that house. You know, like having a dog for a few days without the responsibility of a long-term commitment. Having a crackling fire to read by. Etc. etc. It's always good to return home, but it helps to appreciate home more by getting away every now and then.

4. Recent reads. I've nearly completed the stack of books I listed in my September What's On My Nightstand post. I am a little amazed at how quickly I flew through the stack. Within it I found some very enjoyable reads. What I didn't know I would be adding is this month's book club read: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Classic detective fiction... In fact, it's the first detective novel to be written in the English language. I'm only a few chapters in, but the word that comes to mind is: Riveting. Stand by for my review.

5. If I Die Young by The Band Perry. I have heard this song here and there of late and while the lyrics make its meaning fairly clear I was still curious what the band's interpretation was. (I've noticed how often a music writer can have a totally different visual picture than the audience.) That's when I stumbled upon the music video. I love the "nod" to Anne of Green Gables (click link to view movie scene) and I had to post If I Die Young here for that reason alone. Enjoy.


Have a wonderful weekend!

When Life Gives You Power Outages...

I had planned to post a review today, but we had a power outage and I wasn't able to get online when I needed to.

Instead I read some of the book currently on my nightstand.

I think that's a fair trade, don't you?

Check back tomorrow for the launch of the second Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge. Wow... It's the end of September, tomorrow it's October! Where has the month gone?

See you all back here tomorrow!

Mini Blog Break

I had planned to post yesterday and today, but we have family in town and I have opted instead to spend time with them. Look for more postings next week.

In the meantime, here's a fun little parting story.

My daughter graduated to a big girl bed last week. As with any major change for a toddler/preschooler it comes with a variety of challenges. One such challenge has been teaching our daughter to stay in her bed at bedtime. Over the course of the last week there were two nights where we thought she was in bed asleep and hours after bedtime we discovered that instead she was sitting on her bed with the light on and looking at books.

I mentioned it to a friend, how one night my daughter had been "reading" books for over an hour after bedtime. Her response, "Well Sarah, she IS your daughter."

Happy reading! See you all next week.

All About Agatha - Part I

I am honored to be a part of the second annual Agatha Christie Blog Tour. While today is my first official post for the blog tour I did start a little early with a review of my latest Christie read, The Body in the Library, which was posted yesterday.

Today's post I am calling "All About Agatha - Part I" (the second part will be posted on Wednesday, September 29 as my last blog tour posting.) There is so much that I could write about the Queen of Crime and still I wouldn't scratch the surface of everything there is to know about this best selling author; thus I am keeping this post more along the lines of an self imposed interview as a fan of Agatha Christie novels. The second part (9/29) will be more of a "Did you know" type post with fun facts, trivia, and a give-away, so be sure to check back later in the month. For now, I hope you enjoy learning more about my own history and thoughts relating to Agatha Christie.

Q: What was your first Agatha Christie read?
A: I honestly don't remember. I do remember discovering her books when I was a teenager, but I do not remember what the first title was. It might have been her last book, Sleeping Murder or it might have been my most recent review, The Body in the Library. I just remember that I was fascinated with her stories from day one.

But for some reason I read only a few titles and then moved on to other authors. More than a decade passed before I picked up another Christie novel. In 2008 I decided I need to read ALL of her books. I set a personal challenge to read at least one Agatha Christie mystery a month beginning with her first novel published and proceeding by date of publication until I had read all 80 novels. In the past 18 months I have read 31 novels and at the rate I am going I expect to finish some time in late 2013. That fact alone astonishes me -- six years to read 80 novels, such a long time. Well, that's not so bad when you consider it took her 56 years to write them and would have taken me as long had I lived during the time they were first published.

Q: What attracts you to Agatha Christie books?
A: I love a good detective mystery. I love puzzling through the book and trying to solve the crime. There are a number of reasons why I particularly enjoy Agatha Christie's books. For starters I think she was a clever woman. Though others may disagree, I think her writing never takes on the feel of formula fiction. I love that each plot is fresh, exciting, and in some form a puzzle for the reader's mind to solve. I also enjoy the witty and charming characters. I love the quirkiness of Hercule Poirot and the sly cleverness of Miss Marple. I love that many of the mysteries end on a happy note with some romance blooming, a romance that is carefully woven into the story without detracting from the mystery. I love the way Christie draws from history, from current events, from literature, and from her imagination to create very real characters, settings and story plots. I love that you never know what you're going to get until you're smack in the middle of the story and even then you might be in for a surprise. And I admit, I even like that not all of Agatha Christie's mysteries have happy endings (e.g. And Then There Were None) because again, this just keeps the reader on their mental toes.

Q: What is your favorite Agatha Christie novel?
A: I've been asked this question and I really am stumped as to the answer. I have a top 5 and a top 10 list, but to choose juts one that is my all-time favorite. That is very hard. I really don't feel I can choose just one when I still have another 49 novels to read. Ask me in three years and then I believe I will be able to answer this question definitely. But for my top five list I'd say (in no particular order): Death on the Nile, The A.B.C. Murders, Murder on the Links, N or M?, and The Man in the Brown Suit.

Q: What was one of the scariest Agatha Christie novels you've read?
A: Even with knowing the ending before I read the book I still found And Then There Were None to be the scariest of her novels (at least thus far in my reading).

Q: Who is your favorite detective?
A: Still early to say, but I definitely favor Hercule Poirot with a close second being Tommy and Tuppence, only because I've had more time (and more books) to get acquainted with Poirot.

Q: Is there anything you don't like about Agatha Christie's books?
A: Not that I can think of. Only slightly related are the movie adaptations. I cannot stand when screenwriters alter Christie's stories. I believe if the story has been good enough to survive the last fifty years they should just leave it alone. I love a good film adaptation, but unfortunately have become very wary of the recent releases by Masterpiece Mystery as the screenwriters for their adaptations frequently take liberties with the stories, sometimes going as far as to change the whole motive for the crime to something scandalously modern. I always read the book first and do my best to watch with an open mind, but in the end I always favor any adaptation that is faithful to the original.

Q: If you could travel to any of the places mentioned in a Christie mystery which would it be?
A: Besides all of England? Probably upon the Orient Express. I watched the PBS Masterpiece Mystery special David Suchet on the Orient Express and fell in love with the beautiful scenery and the spectacular train. With the exception of the lack of bathing facilities I think traveling in style by train would be a very exciting experience.

Q: What one thing that you've read about in an Agatha Christie book have you wanted to do in real life?
A: This might sound rather dull, but I'm very curious to learn Bridge. I have no idea how to play and I'd like to learn. Time after time I find this card game a central part of entertainment in books written during the first half of the 20th century by Agatha Christie, D. E. Stevenson and the link. And as anyone who has read Christie's novel Cards on the Table would know, it plays a significant part in solving the murder mystery, a mystery I feel certain I could have solved had I understood the game. One day I will learn to play...I just need to find three more people who feel the same as I.

Q: Of her stories not adapted to film which one are you most wanting to see?
A: Again, this answer might change as I continue to read through her books, but for now I'd say N or M? with Tommy and Tuppence, if adapted faithfully to the book. As runner up I'd vote for Hallowe'en Party, a Hercule Poirot mystery.I read it years ago and found it to be a spine-tingling mystery that could adapt well to the screen. I've heard rumors that it will be, but have yet to see it listed with a date to air.

Q: You recently viewed the 2002 film Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures what did you think?
A: The movie is not a complete picture of Agatha Christie's life though it does include a rough sketch from birth to late in her life with items in the past being addressed through the form of flashbacks. The main goal of the movie is to tell the story of her famous 11 day disappearance during the winter of 1926. It also addresses her troubled relationship with her first husband, Archie Christie, and lightly touches upon her role as mystery writer and her relationship with second husband Max Mallowan.

Overall I thought the movie was interesting even if it wasn't a complete picture. I will add that from as far as I can tell it appears to be fairly faithful to fact and includes direct quotes from Agatha Christie as well as documented details from other sources. The movie is very artistic in its portrayal of Agatha's story (weird camera angles, special effects during flash-backs, etc., but the actors, costumes and sets were well chosen so all-in-all it was a worthwhile viewing. Still, I have decided if I really want to get more information about who Agatha Christie was and what made her tick then I need to read her autobiography. It just arrived at my library so I am looking forward to digging into it this month and will have more to share in my 9/29 post.

Q: Why do you think Agatha Christie was a successful writer?
A: I think several things lead to her success and popularity as an author. For starters I believe, (though she often complained she was out of ideas and finished as a writer), that Agatha was blessed with a very creative and active imagination. All around her in every day life she found ideas for stories. She went through life with her eyes wide open and her brain constantly pondering, dreaming, and plotting. I find this fascinating. Another factor that led to her success as a writer is her love for books. I've heard numerous times that in order to write well one must read well. Agatha was read to as a child and once she began to read to herself she was an active reader for life. Her reading was diverse as she read both books written by contemporaries and books written long before she was born (a.k.a. the classics). As I mentioned before, Agatha's stories were often based in real places or places based on real places. She drew upon personal experience, she drew upon life. When she didn't know something she researched it. Her stories were creative yet real-life. Last, I believe Agatha Christie made an effort to keep her storytelling fresh. She might re-use a character, place or setting, or even a motive or weapon, but she never let her stories become cliches or formula. Each story is a puzzle with some factor changed to keep the reader guessing. I think all of these factors led to her success and in turn her popularity as a writer.

Q: If there was one question you could ask Agatha Christie what would it be?
A: This is a difficult question to answer, but the first that comes to mind has to do with writing. If she had the chance to start afresh would she sitll have taken the career as the author of crime novels? Or did she prefer the stories she wrote that dealt with romance and tragedy? She wrote a detective novel and it was received well. She wrote another and another and soon had established herself as the Queen of Crime. Did she love to write these novels as much as her fan base loves to read them? I think the answer would be she must have... but you never know. She came to despise Hercule Poirot, but she continued to write stories about him because it was what her readers liked.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me and my thoughts about Agatha Christie. I hope I've inspired you to add one of her novels to reading list this month as well as to check out what other writers have to say each day on the Agatha Christie Blog Tour. If you're interested to know what I thought of a particular book (spoilers usually excluded) you can click on any one of the links below to read my reviews. I will have some other Agatha Christie related links when I post on the 29th. Hope to see you then.

In the meantime, happy reading!

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Other Agatha Christie Reviews:
*Novels published from 1920-1923 see note below.

The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)
The Secret of Chimneys (1925)
The Big Four (1927)
The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)
The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
The Sittaford Mystery (1931)
Peril at End House (1932)
Lord Edgware Dies (1933)
Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1934)
Three Act Tragedy (1935)
Death in the Clouds (1935)
The A.B.C. Murders (1936)
Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)
Cards on the Table (1936)
Dumb Witness (1937)
Death on the Nile (1937)
Appointment With Death (1938)
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938)
Murder Is Easy (1939)
And Then There Were None (1939)
Sad Cypress (1939)
One, Two Buckle My Shoe (1940)
Evil Under the Sun (1941)
N or M? (1941)
The Body in the Library (1942)

Absent In the Spring by Mary Westmacott (a.k.a. Agatha Christie) (1944)

* Christie's novels written from 1920 (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) through 1923 (Murder on the Links) I read before I began this blog hence no reviews are currently available.

Friday Five Faves

It's been some weeks since I posted a Friday's Five Fave post. It's the middle of August and summer is winding to a heated and dry end. Here are five things that have blessed me in the previous weeks:

1. This summer my husband and I decided to purchase an annual pass to a local national park. We weren't really interested in the tourist aspects of the park, but instead liked the fact that with the pass we could visit anytime we wanted. Lately we've made Sunday evenings our family time when we go to the park and relax. Sometimes my husband spends the time capturing the rustic beauty of the natural surroundings with our camera while our daughter plays in the sand or tosses rocks into the river. Other times we explore the trails or just enjoy watching the sun set over the mountains. I love this time together as a family and look forward to each week.

2. Last week I posted a review of So Long Insecurity: You've Been A Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore. This book was so much more than I initially expected it to be. It was one of the best books I read this summer and has really changed how I view myself and those around me. This book is on my top five list of books I regularly recommend to other readers and one I'd recommend to every woman I know. If you haven't read my review go do so right now!


3. I didn't take ballet as a child, but I appear to have a daughter who will. Right now everything is "princess" this or "ballerina" that. However I am especially thankful for the invention of little girl leotards, tutus, and ballet slippers as they seem to be the motivator behind my daughter's potty-training. Because of these items my daughter decided all of a sudden one day she was done with diapers. My baby girl is growing up, she's a little girl now and there's no going back! But I don't mind, so bring on the ballet!


4. It's summer, which means lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. For the last couple of summers I have gone berry picking and made my own jam. This year I took a pass as I still had several jars from last year. Instead I froze some fruit and made a few pies. The latest was an absolutely delicious golden peach pie. I've also been growing fresh herbs this summer. Our favorite has been the ever-abundant basil plant. A simple tomato, basil, mozzarella appetizer is excellent when served alongside grilled chicken or steak. I shall be sorry when this aspect of summer comes to an end.

5. This week I've had Come To Jesus, a song by Chris Rice running through my head. There were several variations of the song on YouTube, but I liked this one best:

Have a wonderful week's end.

So Long, Insecurity: You've Been a Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore

350 pages
Published in 2010
by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Carol Stream, Illinois

As you might notice most of the books I read I end up enjoying enough to recommend as books to read. There are of course the occasions where I don't really enjoy the book and give them a so-so review or a thumbs down. And then there are those occasions where I enjoy a book so much, find it is so amazing that I just want to cry out in call caps: GO! YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK! NEVER MIND WAITING IN LINE AT THE LIBRARY. RUN TO THE BOOKSTORE, YOU HAVE TO OWN THIS BOOK!

So Long, Insecurity: You've Been A Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore is just such a book. This is a must read for every living breathing woman in the world.

Who exactly is Beth Moore? Before reading this book I had only a brief introduction to this woman of faith, but from random conversations with some of my Christian friends and acquaintances I realize I am in the minority. Beth Moore founded Living Proof Ministries in 1994 "with the purpose of teaching women how to love and live on God's Word." She is the author of countless Bible studies and books and in the last few years added radio and the Internet to her ministry outreach. My own church has held a few women's events in the past that utilized Beth's Bible studies. The one I attended I found insightful and applicable.

So when I noticed her face on the cover of a book on the "New Release" table at my local B&N store I added her to my list of authors to read in 2010. At the time I wasn't even thinking that a book about conquering insecurity would be applicable to my own life I just thought it might be a good title to review.

The Book:
As I mentioned before, I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up So Long Insecurity. I wasn't expecting to apply it to my own life, after all I consider myself a fairly secure person who may have struggled in my teen years with some forms of insecurity... but then what teen hasn't?

As I began the first chapter of the book I felt a tad doubtful of how good this book was. Beth's writing style is exuberant and seemed to emanate girl power with each paragraph. In my head I heard that Martina McBride song, This One's For the Girls and thought to myself... I'm not so sure this is my type of book. But as I read on I quickly discovered that this book is so much more. It is applicable to every living, breathing, hot blooded or cold blooded woman in this world; be they 18 or 88 or any age in between and regardless of whether they struggle with insecurity or only know of someone who struggles.

"Keep an open mind to what an insecure woman looks like, and don't be too hasty to let yourself off the hook just because a dimension of the portrait doesn't look like you. The fact that she can be a complicated mix of confidence and self-consciousness is the very reason it took me so long to identify it in myself and admit it." (Chpt 1, pg 19)

So Long Insecurity could be divided into three parts. The first part is where Beth discusses the history or more specifically "roots" from which insecurity grows. While it is not exactly all inclusive I believe she's thorough and it would be a rare instance where the reader didn't connect with at least a fragment of an example in this section.

Through the second part Beth discusses how to dig up these roots so healing can begin and how strength and dignity can be attained. The goal of this book is not to preach or to discourage, but to help women everywhere find security and live the life filled with the dignity, joy, and purpose that her Creator intended.

The last section of this book wraps up everything that has been discussed and looks to the future. Not only how can one go on from here with a "clean escape", but how can each woman who is secure help future generations of women (e.g. their own daughters or nieces or the little girl down the street or in their classroom, etc.)

This book is powerful and came at the perfect time. Insecurity is a major problem for women in the world today, including freedom loving Americans.

My Thoughts:
First of all I have to say I really appreciate Beth Moore. She's not just another woman out there who has it all together and is looking down her spiritual nose at the rest of womankind. This book is her journey as much as it is mine or any other reader's. Beth is genuine, she is honest, and she is full of encouragement. She shares from her heart the good with the bad in her own life: "I am a common woman sharing common problems seeking common solutions on a journey with an uncommon Savior. If something hurts me, I conclude it probably hurts somebody else." (Chpt 1, pg 13)

For my own part, I admit freely that I have struggled with insecurity in the past, even as far back as junior high and high school, but again, that is fairly typical. What was an eye opener for me was to realize that I still struggle, although the insecurity manifests itself in different forms now than it did 15 years ago. I also found it very interesting to discover how insecurity can play strongly in how I perceive other people and how they in turn perceive me. I realize now how failings in friendships or family members, or even bad encounters with other people where I've been snubbed or hurt are often connected to either one or both of us having issues with insecurity. It is indeed a fascinating issue to ponder.

For those wondering, So Long Insecurity is NOT a quick fix. I finished it only a week ago, but I am still faced with chronic insecurity. The difference for me now is that I know how to confront these feelings and come away the conqueror. I know how to say, "I am clothed with strength and dignity... God gave it to me. It is mine. You cannot have it." I no longer struggle.

In closing I can honestly and wholeheartedly say this book will improve your outlook on life and people. I recommend this book with two thumbs firmly up. Don't borrow this book, buy it. It is a keeper and it is one you will want to reference. It is not exactly a fast read -- while it reads quickly and is a book you don't really want to put down -- there is a lot to ponder and digest. For me some chapters took a few days for me to finish as I stopped to process exactly what she was saying, to pray about it, and to apply what I had read to my own life. This is a book you will want to share with all the women in your life.

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Related Links:
Book Excerpt
Get Thee Behind Me, Insecurity: Interview with Beth Moore
So Long Insecurity affiliated website
Living Proof Ministries