Jane Austen Would you Rather

I first saw this tag over at Wonderland Creek but it's originally from Write on Cordy. You should definitely check out both blogs! I will make a special plug for Naomi's answers..... they made me laugh so hard! :)

• Who would you rather have act as your matchmaker, Lady Russell (from Persuasion) or Mrs. Jennings? Mrs. Jennings. I think she would annoy me but she would also humor me. Lady Russell just annoys me. 
• Who would you like as a pen pal from Jane Austen's works? I think if it was a female friend I would like Catherine Morland. If I wanted a pen pal that would make me laugh it would be Mr. Collins. However, if I wanted a beautifully romantic letter I'd have Captain Wentworth be my pen pal. ;) 
• Who would you rather go on a walk with, Colonel Fitzwilliam or Captain Benwick? I'm not a fan of poetry so Colonel Fitzwilliam. He always struck me as a great conversationalist and friendly. 
• Who would you rather have to befriend, Mrs. Elton or Lucy Steele? Gah! I think it would have to go with Mrs. Elton. Lucy is just too annoying and Mrs. Elton would at least humor me. 
• Who would you rather have as a sibling, John Knightley or Mary (from Persuasion, not Mary Bennet)? Mary really annoys me in Persuasion so I guess John Knightley. I think I could handle his tempers. :) 
• Who would you rather dance with? Mr. Tilney! We would have such conversation while dancing and hopefully one smirk before we may be rational again. ;)

  

  The Henry Tilney smirk. :) 

• Who would you rather refuse, Mr. Collins or Mr. Elton? Mr. Collins! Mr. Elton disgusts me but Mr. Collins humors me. 
• Who would you rather match-make for, Miss Bates or Mary Bennet? Mary Bennet! Because we all know she's destined for Mr. Collins! 
• Who would you rather have as a best friend? Elizabeth Bennet! :) 
• Who would you rather argue with? (Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine, Emma Woodhouse, Mr. Woodhouse, Mr. Palmer, Mrs. Jennings, Fanny Dashwood, Captain Wentworth, Mr. Darcy, ect.) Lady Catherine. I think it would divert me excessively though it might make her seriously displeased. However, arguing with Mr. Darcy is fun and will most likely cause him to fall more in love with me so there is that. ;) 
• Would you rather wander the grounds of Pemberly and risk being 'discovered' or wander over the downs surrounding Barton Cottage in the rain and twist an ankle? Discovered by Mr. Darcy? Yes! ;) Actually in all seriousness I'm not sure. It's really awkward running into someone you've turned down... especially when it's quite unexpected so actually I'd probably be like Lizzy and (try to) avoid Pemberly like the plague. I do love the scenery around Barton Cottage though so I think I'll chose it. A twisted ankle will just have to be one of the unpleasant side effects. 
• Where would you live in Austen's works? With whichever Austen hero I marry obviously! I hope it's Darcy though because I kind of want to live at Pemberly. ;) But Donwell Abbey and Northanger Abbey and respective owners are acceptable to me as well. ;)

Love this tag? Consider yourself tagged! :) 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Bookshelf Tour Tag

Lover of Lembas tagged me in her Bookshelf Tour Tag! Thank you!
Here are the rules!

• Once you are tagged, copy and paste the image above into your new post.
• Show readers your book shelf and explain what books are on there. Pictures are always fun!
• Tag as many other people as you want and copy-paste these instructions onto your post so they know exactly what to do.
• Make sure to leave a link to your post on the site you were tagged (for instance, the people tagged below by me should leave a link to their post in the comments here)

My books are extensive and actually at this time I'm out of space! I'm currently working on figuring out how to make more room for another bookshelf. Has lack of room turned off my book buying frenzy.? Not at all! I have one real bookshelf, which I got some years ago. When I first ran out of bookshelf space last year I was scrambling for space. I ended up going to Goodwill and getting one of those spinning metal bookshelves. It's a frightful eyesore but it saved me for a time. Still with both of these I'm now having to start stacking up books in random places as I'm once again out of space.

So here are my bookshelves! They are arranged in alphabetical order by author's last name with fiction first, then non-fiction and then cookbooks. My DVDs have moved over to my little sister's bookshelf due to lack of space. If the books are small enough, are in a series or I own more than one by the author they are more likely to go on my spinning shelf though there are some exceptions. It can be very annoying having to look for books in two different places but I suppose that is the price I must pay for owning so many. ;)


My first shelf. I'm not going to go through book by book because that would probably get tedious but here's the highlight reel. I have the three books in the Little Women series plus An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott. I have copies of all of Jane Austen's novels, a lovely combined copy of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. About a third of my Agatha Christie novels are up there (the rest being on my spinning shelf... we'll get to those in a bit). Then I have two of Wilkie Collins' novels: The Moonstone and The Women in White. And then of course Robinson Crusoe.


My second shelf. This shelf is mostly composed of Dickens' novels. I have almost all of his books. I have a couple Sherlock Holmes books on here. A collection of George Elliot books. A lovely old copy of Captain Horatio Hornblower. Wives and Daughters.


My third shelf. I have a couple Dean Koontz novels. To Kill a Mockinbird. Gone With the Wind. The Scarlet Pimpernel. Ivanhoe. Half of my Harry Potter series are on this shelf and the other half overlaps onto the next shelf. I also have a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them that I need to get around to reading before the movie comes out!


My fourth shelf. The other half of the Harry Potter series. My absolutely gorgeous splendiferous copy of the complete works of Shakespeare. The Help. Vanity Fair. Lark Rise to Candleford, which I'll read one I'm done with the show! A collection of three Tolstoy novels.... I know one is Anna Karenina and another War and Peace but I don't recall what the other one is. Tolkien's copy of Beowulf. I love the cover of it! I read Beowulf for the first time last year in a different translation (which was an awesome translation) and then I got this copy but have yet to read it. Hopefully this year! Inching in at the end of this shelf are a couple Mark Twain novels.


My fifth shelf. A couple more Mark Tain novels at the beginning. P.G. Wodehouse's The Golf Omnibus (amazingly hilarious book!). That pretty much finishes the fiction on the bookshelf. Then I have my nonfiction. I have the two Who Should We Then Read books by Jan Bloom, which are great reference books. The Valley of Vision (highly recommend!). A Narnia companion book. Some devotional books. Wise Words. Foxes Book of Martyrs. Some R.C. Sproul books. Then to end the shelf I have a bunch of cookbooks. Lying on the shelf unshelled are Quiet and Miniatures and Morals.

My spinning shelf is hard to look at and make any sense but here goes as best as I can.

On this side I have my Chronicles of Prydain, the rest of my Agatha Christie novels, some Zane Grey novels, the Chronicles of Narnia and some Jeff and Michael Shaara books.


Here I have some Beverly Cleary books, Les Mis and Hunchback, the Bourne books.


On this side I have Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, the Amanda Grange Austen heroes diary series, some Brian Jacques books and the Anne of Green Gables Series. At the very bottom my Tolkien books are peeking out. I have The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, The Silmarillion and The Children of Húrin.


It looks like we have even more Agatha Christe novels here as well as some Koinsburg books, This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness. And most of the Little House in the Big Woods series.

So that's my bookshelves for now. They're always growing and hopefully I'll actually have a new bookshelf soon so I won't have to feel quite so guilty about buying more books. ;)

If you want to participate in this tag feel free to grab it!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Laura Ingalls Blog Party 2016

Ashely at A-Z is hosting a Laura Ingalls Blog Party this week! Be sure to go check it out HERE. I love reading Ashley's blog so you really should just go check her blog out anyways because it's awesome! ;)
Here are some fun tag questions to go along with the party.

1. How did you discover Little House? I grew up reading the books.
2. Which Little House series have you read? Which are you favorite? (Laura, Martha, Rose, etc.) I've read all of them I think. At least all my library had. I've definitely read all of Laura's multiple times and then the others only once. My favorites are Laura.
3. Have you read any "extra" Little House books? (non "canon", cookbooks, song books, craft books, little kid books, etc.) I know I checked out a Little House cookbook as a kid from the library but I don't think anything else.
4. Have you read any biographies/autobiographies about Laura or any of the Little House girls? Not than I remember.
5. If you could be in any character's place, who would you choose and why? Laura's because then I'd get to marry Almanzo. ;)
6. What's your favorite Little House ship? (AKA couple) Laura and Almanzo! I also liked Caroline and Charles a lot though too but it's been a longer time since I've read those books.
7. What's your favorite Little House book? Cover? Favorite book These Happy Golden Years. Cover..... I think the one for Little House in the Book Woods and also the one for These Happy Golden Years.
8. If you could invite any secondary character from any of the Little House books over for dinner, who would you choose and why? Nellie Olson... because I think it would be interesting and it would probably humor me.
9. Have you watched the Little House TV show? If so, do you enjoy it? No not really. I've seen a few random episodes and they were okay.
10. If you could watch a YouTube miniseries on any Little House book or series, which would you choose and how would the basic plot go? Never though about that before. I don't know.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Life According to Literature

I saw this fun meme over at Edge of the Precipice and just had to steal it! The rule is to use books that you read in the last year but since it is the beginning of a year I'll be including books from last year and what I've read so far this year.

Describe yourself: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

How do you feel today: Matilda by Roald Dahl 

Describe where you currently live:  Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy- Not literally of course but I think it invokes the proper image. :) 

If you could go anywhere, you would go to:  Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery 

Your favorite form of transportation:  Horse of a Different Color by Ralph Moody- Because that's slightly confusing let me explain. In the books Ralph always is a horse guy but then he gets a car and takes up more than just horse work. They call the car a horse of a different color. 

Your best friend is:  Beloved by Toni Morrison- Not at all like the character of Beloved in the book but she is beloved. :) 

You and your friends are:  Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace 

What's the weather like:  All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque- We're having great weather right now in Kansas. It was in the sixties the last couple days. Of course it's Kansas so this next week will probably be snow and rain. 

You fear:  The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner 

What's the best advice you have to give:  Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham  

Thought for the day:  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 

How you would like to die:  Peace Like a River by Leif Enger 

Your souls present condition:  Trusting God by Jerry Bridges 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Blogging about Blogs Tag

Heidi at Along the Brandywine tagged me in the Blogging about Blogs tag! Thank you Heidi! If you're not reading Heidi's blog yet go check it out now! With a blog name as awesome as that you know it's got to be good. :)
So on to the tag!

Rules

Thank the person who tagged you

Answer the questions

Tag some blogging friends

Questions

Blog that makes me laugh- Off the top of my head definitely Wonderland Creek.... just read THIS POST and you'll see what I mean! 

Blog that makes me think- Coffee Soothes the Soul

Blog that teaches me things- Coffee Soothes the Soul

Blog with beautiful headers- A lot! Meanwhile in Rivendell, Wonderland Creek, Yet Another Period Drama Blog and Along the Brandywine to name just a few. 

Blogger who takes great pictures- Sunday Best and All the Rest

Blogger whose recommendations I trust- I'm always afraid to say I 100% trust someone's recommendation just because but these are the bloggers I mostly trust. ;) Olivia at Meanwhile in Rivendell, Hamlette at Edge of the Precipice and Hamlette's Soliloquy, Sophia at Ravens and Writing Desks, Ashley at A-Z, Naomi at Wonderland Creek, Heidi at Along the Brandywine Amy at Yet Another Period Drama Blog Becky at Becky's Book Reviews and Julie at Smiling Shelves. If your blog didn't make it on this list don't think I don't trust you, or that I hate you or that I don't read your blog... These are just the ones that came to my head first. I still love you! ;) 

New blog I'm enjoying- Lover of Lembas

Blog I've followed the longest- Probably Unscripted whose owner also has another blog called Purple Ink Studios now which she keeps slightly more updated. 

Blog I've started following the most recently- Lover of Lembas

Blog that is always a refreshing happiness- Meanwhile in Rivendell, Wonderland Creek and Along the Brandywine. 

Blog where I revel in the words- Coffee Soothes the Soul 

I hate tagging people (I'm lazy that way) and I know most of the people I want to tag have already been tagged so if you're reading this consider yourself tagged... you deserve it! :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Goodreads Tag

Tags are always fun and I found this one and just had to do it as I'm an avid Goodreads user.

1. What is the last book you marked as "read"? Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange
2. What are you "currently reading"? I tend to read multiple books at a time anymore. Normally one new read fiction, one non-fiction and then one re-read and then depending I might also additionally have an audiobook but sometimes that crosses over with one of the aforementioned sections. Anyways, back to the point, I'm currently reading John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (my non-fiction) and Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue (my audiobook and new read fiction) So actually no re-read currently. 
3. What was the last book you marked as "to read"? Hana's Suitcase: The Quest to Solve a Holocaust Mystery by Karen Levine. This was a recommendation to me by a blogging friend and it does look intriguing! 
4. What book do you plan on reading next? Either Henry Tilney's Diary or Mr. Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange. I'm reading through Amanda Grange's Austen heroes diary collection right now and those are the two I have left. 
5. Do you use the star rating system? Yes! I actually think it helps me a little with deciding how I feel about a book. I do wish there were half stars though. 
6. Are you doing the 2016 reading challenge? Yes! 105 books is my goal! 
7. Do you have a wish list? Kind of a mental wish list but yes. I should actually write it out though because every year at Christmas and my birthday when my mom asks me what I want my mind goes blank.... until afterwards. 
8. What book are you planning on buying next? Hard question! There's so many I want to buy but thankfully I did get a few of the ones I was craving for Christmas and my birthaday. I think I'd have to go with Jeff Shaara's God's and Generals. I've wanted it for a long time... since I read it actually. 
9. What is your favorite quote? So many but when narrowing it down one just has to turn to Austen. 
   
10. Who are your favorite authors? Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien.... if you didn't know that you haven't been reading my blog for long. ;) 
11. Are you a part of any Goodreads group? Just one.... a Jane Austen one. However I never do anything with it. :( 
12. What could Goodreads do better? Two things pop to my mind. There needs to be a better way of recording re-reads/re-reading and there needs to be an easier way to record that you own a book. It's a pain. And half stars while you're at it. ;) 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Cinderella Party Tag 2016

Heidi at Along the Brandywine is hosting a Cinderella Party this week! Go check it out and participate in the fun HERE. Disclaimer.... I haven't seen the 2015 live action Disney version of Cinderella yet.

Cinderella Party Tag:

1. In the vast array of fairytale heroines, what particular character qualities most define Cinderella? Kindness. In all of the versions and spinoffs of Cinderella I've seen that is the quality she always shows. 

2. What are some of the deeper, big picture differences you see between retellings where both stepsisters are nasty and others where one is nasty and one is kind? How do you think the two takes differently develop/illuminate/affect Cinderella’s character and also the overarching story itself? 

I'm thinking of Ever After off the top of my head as the one where one sister is nice(ish) and the other isn't. Honestly I think it's done more for comedic effect than anything. The nice(ish) sister ends up being stupid as well. I think that it effects Cinderella's character in giving a little relief from the cruelty around her and also maybe encouraging her in her kindness. 

3. Are you an animal lover? Would you eagerly count mice, lizards, cows, and geese as friends? Dogs and cats? Dogs yes. Some of those others I might have to get used to. 

4. After asking question #3, I realized how remarkably many of the adaptations I’ve seen have Cinderella either horseback riding or involved with horses. Have you ever ridden? If so, have you ever ridden sidesaddle or bareback? I don't think I've ever ridden sidesaddle or bareback but I haven't ridden since I was a wee child so I don't remember my horse riding experiences well. 

5. Your favorite Cinderella dress/s? I love the ball dress from Ever After. From the pictures I've seen of 2015 Cinderella I really like her ball dress and her wedding dress too. I also like the ball dress from the animated version. So basically they haven't one wrong with the ball dress yet. ;) 

6. Do you ever think of Cinderella while doing your household chores? :) Of course! Especially when mopping. When we were kids we used to joke around and say "Cinderella do this and that" in our most snobbish portrayal of the stepmother that we could manage. Cause we were cool. ;) 

7. What major character traits do you think are essential in a faithful prince? Honesty, loyalty, kindness and a sense of humor. 

8. Your top THREE favorite fairy tales (as in the original folk tales, not adaptations). Beauty and the Beast (absolutely my favorite fairytale... the heroine reads!), The Twelve Dancing Princesses (I'm not sure why but I loved reading this story as a kid) and The Emperor's New Clothes (because of it's political implications). 

9. Your top FIVE current favorite fairy tale/legend type films (BESIDES any Cinderella adaptations)- Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Disney's Tangled, Enchanted, The Princess Bride (does this count?) and The Swan Princess (very sentimental here). The first two were obvious for me but I had a hard time choosing the rest just because I'm kind of "whatever" after the first two. I almost chose Frozen but it gets enough hype without my help. 

10. If you could play Cinderella and the story could be set in any region of the world and any time period, what would you pick? And what would your dream ‘ball gown’ for it be like? I like the 1800s time period that the Brothers Grimm created. Off the top of my head I'd just go with the ball gown from the 2015 Cinderella. 

11. And (purely for fun :))… what color/s do you immediately associate with Cinderella? Blue. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Lucy Maud Montgomery Week 2015

Coffee, Classics and Craziness is hosting a Lucy Maud Montgomery week and I naturally am participating! There's a list of fun questions to answer and I naturally am answering them. ;)
Let's begin shall we?

• How did you first discover LMM’s books?  As with many of my favorites, I was basically raised on LMM's books and the films. Most likely I watched the movies before I read the books but they were probably among the first books I read as a child. 
• What’s your favorite LMM book? Anne of Green Gables.... I think. With re-reading the series this year though I have really come to deeply love Rilla of Ingleside so it's close. 
• What’s your least favorite LMM book? It used to be Anne of the Island but I've come to appreciate that one a lot more with the re-read. Maybe Anne of Windy Poplars? Actually Anne of Windy Poplars through Rainbow Valley I'm a little more neutral about, though I still love them. 
• Who is your favorite character in allllll of LMM’s works? Anne... when she's younger... when she's older sometimes she annoys me. :) I also love Matthew Cuthbert a lot. And Gilbert! 
• What couple is your favorite? Anne and Gilbert... but I've only read the Anne series and the Emily series so.... 
• What is your favorite quote from LMM (either a quote from one of her books, or from her personal life)? Many of my favorite quotes come from Anne of Green Gables. It's hard to chose though! I think though I'll go with "Because when you're imagining, you might as well imagine something worthwhile."
• How many LMM books have you read? All of the Anne books (8) and all of the Emily books (3). Total is 11. :) I really want to read more though. I was sadly a little oblivious to the fact she wrote more than that (because that was all of her books my family owned) until this year. I'm so excited she did write more though because I love LMM's books. 
• Which LMM book would you most like to see made into a movie? Rilla of Ingleside 
• Have you found a kindred spirit? A few. :) 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Jane Austen Week 2015- Tag Answers

It's Jane Austen Week over at Wonderland Creek!!!!! Go check it out and join in the fun! Today I'll be answering her tag answers!!!!

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a Jane Austen fan do you consider yourself? 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Obviously!!!!!!!
2. If "they" would make a new Jane Austen Movie, and you would be able to be cast in it, which Jane Austen character would you most like to play? Catherine Morland.... because I'm the most like her. But I also think it would be fun to play a goofy character so when I'm older I think it would be such fun to play Mrs. Bennett!
3. Is there any felicity in the world superior to a walk? READING!!!! Duh! ;) But a walk is quite amazing I'll admit.
4. Who's your favourite Jane Austen 'villain'? (As in 'villain' meaning 'the bad guy.') I hate them all!!!!!!!!!! Who do I love to hate the most? Mrs. Noriss from Mansfield Park probably. Who do I think is the "best" of the bad guys? Maybe Frank Churchill though he annoys me to no end also.
5. What/Who introduced you to Jane Austen? I grew up on Jane Austen. Both my mom and my dad are big fans. We grew up watching Jane Austen movies, especially the 1995 Pride and Prejudice and when I was around ten I read Pride and Prejudice. The rest is history. ;)
6. Did you love/enjoy Jane Austen immediately, or has there been a time when you hated (um, prejudged) it? I've always loved it!
7. Who, in your opinion, is the funniest Jane Austen character? That's hard! Maybe Mr. Bennet or Mrs. Bennet but Mr. Collins cracks me up too!
8. Do you quote Jane Austen randomly in public? Yes! I quote Jane Austen randomly wherever I go! There are people who don't? ;)
9. Are children allowed to eat cake on weddings? Their health! My goodness! What would Dr. Perry say? ;)
10. What is your reaction when you hear that an aquaintance (e.g. A lady at Church) of yours loves Jane Austen? Instant friendship!!!!!!! If it's a guy..... instant marriage!!!!!! ;) Just kidding. ;)
11. Who writes better letters, Mr Darcy or Captain Wentworth? (If you forgot what the letters were, shame on you, instead tell me if you prefer Strawberries to Chocolate or not.) Well they wrote different kinds of letters so I'm not sure it's fair to compare them. Captain Wentworth does write a beautiful proposal/love letter though so I guess I'll chose him. :)
12. Which Jane Austen heroine do you relate the least to? Emma Woodhouse. She's grown on me as a character but I don't relate to her.
13. What's your favourite Jane Austen house (from one of the movies)? Pemberly!
14. What's your favourite Jane Austen dress (from one of the movies)? Hard question! Let me peruse some pictures. I love all of Lizzie's dresses but I think my favorite is her dress at the Neverfield dance. I do NOT like Miss Bingley's dress. 

15. Can you turn off lit candles with your fingers? I've never tried to because I've been too afraid but I've always wanted to since I was a child since Mr. Darcy can! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

5 Male Characters Tag and 5 Female Characters Tag

I've been meaning to do these for awhile and then Olivia from Meanwhile in Rivendell tagged me in the 5 Male Characters Tag and I figured I might as well go ahead and do both. I'm not sure why they have different categories but they do.
AND, before you go any further, make sure to check out my two giveaways going on HERE and HERE!

5 Male Characters

Hero- Mr. Knightley... I just re-read Emma and then re-watched all of the movies so I'm on a huge kick Mr. Knightley kick right now! For me he embodies so much of what I would want in a husband. A man of moral integrity, someone willing to tell me when I am wrong, kind, generous and loving. He's also got a sense of humor. :) My second favorite would be Austen's Henry Tilney. He is similar to Mr. Knightley but is far lighter and so funny!!!  

Villain- Gollum. I like what Peter Jackson did with him in the movies actually, making him an even more complex character then he already was.

Anti-hero- I don't read a lot of books or watch a lot of movies with anti-heroes so this was hard for me to come up with. I think though I'd go with Han Solo from Star Wars and Malcom Reynolds from Firefly. They're actually fairly similar characters. I'd say they are the more hero like of anti heroes but it's what I could come up with.

Best book-to-screen adaptation- After much thought I have decided on Sir Percy Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel and the screen adaptation is OBVIOUSLY the 1982 version.... aka the only version. ;) I think Anthony Andrews perfectly take the character from the books and dazzlingly brings him onto the screen much to my endless laughter! 

Best character perception- This one and the previous seem kind of similar but whatever! I'd go with Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy is a very reserved character so taking him and acting him out would must have been hard but I think Colin Firth did it with so much perception. He just was Mr. Darcy because I think he understood the character. He will always be Mr. Darcy to me.

5 Female Characters

Heroine- I'm torn between Elizabeth Bennett and Molly Gipson so.... both

Villain- I tend to say I love to hate Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter. She irks me so much! Sure she's not the main villain in the series but that does not matter! I hate her so much more than Voldemort! 

Superhero- Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow! Basically she's awesome! 

That I would want to be friend with- I think I would have to chose Anne Shirley! So much imagination and fun! 

That I wish had better development- I'd have to agree with Olivia here and go with Buttercup from The Princess Bride. In the movie she's a bit better developed but in the book she's really just kind of there. :(

These are such fun tags! If you want to participate just steal them away! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

A Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence 2015!

The awesome Hamlette at The Edge of the Precipice is having a Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence! Go to her blog and join in the fun!
She has some great questions for participants to answer so here are my answers!

1. What draw's you to Tolkien's stories? I'd definitely say the world building. Tolkien has created a masterpiece in his creation of Middle Earth and I think that it will never be surpassed! 
2. What was the first Middle Earth book or movie you read or saw and what did you think of it? To be honest I'm not sure. It seems to me to make logical sense that I would have read The Hobbit first but what I remember reading first is The Fellowship of the Ring. So not positive on that point. However, I remember being fairly passive about the book. I was really only reading it because the only way my dad was going to let me go see the movies in theater was if I read them first. So at the tender age of six I slogged through that book so I could go see the movie in theaters! 
3. Name three of your favorite characters and tell us why you like them? Okay here we go! First off Samwise Gamgee! He is awesome! The way he sticks with Frodo and is so patient with him throughout it all is incredible. After that I'm not sure.... I love them all! Faramir for sure... though how they portray him in the movie drives me crazy sometimes. Then I also love Eowyn.... though they change her some in the movie too. Oh well. Gandalf, Aragorn and Bilbo are also a couple of my favorites but now I'm going over the limit! 
4. Are there any secondary characters that you think deserve more attention? Eomer! He's great and needs more screen time. They scarcely explain him in the movies! 
5. What middle earth character do you relate to the most? I'd say probably Bilbo but I think in some ways Eowyn. However, Zimbio says I'm Merry so the internet quiz has spoken! ;)
6. If you could ask Professor Tolkien one Middle Earth related question what would you like to ask him? If you could write more about any one aspect of Middle Earth what would it be? 
7. Are there any pieces of Middle Earth merchandise that you particularly want to own but don't? As a matter of fact there are! I've wanted this scarf for about two years now! I love it! It's awesome! But it's forty bucks so.... 
   
8. What Middle Earth battle would you absolutely not want to be a part of? I think I'd go with the battle at the Black gates in Return of the King but anything with the undead people might be a little much for me too. 
9. Would you rather eat a meal at Rivendell or Bag End? I love them both but Bag End without a doubt! I'm a hobbit at heart. :)
10. List up to ten of your favorite quotes from the books or movies. Goodness! Here goes! 

Thank you Hamlette for doing this! I'm excited for what the rest of this Tolkien themed week brings!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Ultimate Harry Potter Tag

I wasn't actually tagged in this but me being me and me being a tag stealer I stole this tag from over at Jmill Wanders. I love Harry Potter so I couldn't resist. ;)

1. Favorite Book- It used to always say Order of the Phoenix but sometimes that one really annoys me because you have teenager love stuff in there and you know me and teenager love stuff. ;) There is a beautiful magic to The Sorceror's Stone due it to it being the first of them and the one that introduced it all. I love them all really. :)
2. Least Favorite Book- As I said, I love them all. :)
3. Favorite Movie- Third maybe? I like the first, second and third and then the books get so long that they start leaving out so much from them in the movies. :( 
4. Least Favorite Movie- I think the fourth. Four, five and six though all make me unhappy in different ways. I feel like the fourth leaves out huge amounts though and changes things... like Krum. :(
5. Favorite Quote- Curiosity is not a sin... but we should exercise caution... yes indeed. Goblet of Fire
6. Favorite Weasly- The twins! Fred and George are amazing and hilarious! 
7. Favorite female character- Luna Lovegood. She's so wonderfully quirky. :)
8. Favorite Villain- Umbridge! And Bellatrix Lestrange creeps me out so much! Helena Bonham-Carter plays her so creepily well in the films. 
9. Favorite male character- Remus Lupin 
10. Favorite Professor- I'm torn between Professor McGonagall and Professor Lupin but since I picked Lupin for the previous question I'll go with McGonagall for this one. :)
11. Is there any character you felt differently about in the movies vs. the books- I really felt like they did not do Ginny quite right and they severely underused Tonks!!! 
12. Is there a movie you prefer instead of the book- Ha! No! 
13. Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore- They're both good. We get so much more of Michael Gambon that it is harder to judge. I can't chose. :)
14. The top thing (person or event) which wasn't included in the movie that annoyed you the most- Ha! Ask my siblings and they will tell you that I scarcely stop talking during the movies because most of the time I'm saying some variation of "that wasn't in the book" or "They left this part out of the movie that was in the book". So yeah... a lot of things annoy me. I think though that so many of the memories and their significance are left out of the Half Blood Prince and that's just dumb. In the fourth I feel like chunks are thrown out all over the place and in the fifth too! 
15. If you could remake any of the Potter movies, which would it be- The fourth. As I said, it annoys me the most. That long hair on Ron needed to go. 
16. Which house was your first gut feeling you'd be part of- Hufflepuff :)
17. Which house were you actually sorted into on Pottermore (or other online sorting quiz?)- Hufflepuff... serendipitous is it not? ;)
18. Which class would be your favorite- Defense against the dark arts and I think potions would be pretty cool. I made the mistake of mentioning that to my Chemistry major brother though and he said that potions was basically chemistry.... suddenly all of potions' allure was gone. ;)
19. Which spell do you think would be the most useful to learn- Accio would always be useful! I'm pretty lazy. Once I'm in the recliner... I'm not getting up! ;)
20. Which character do you think at Hogwarts you'd instantly become best friends with- Luna! Awkward crazy people unite! ;)
21. If you could own one of the three hallows which would it be- The invisibility cloak! 
22. Is there any aspect of the books you'd want to change- As I said above, less teenage romance stuff... besides that... no. :)
23. Favorite marauder- Lupin :)
24. If you could bring one character back to life who would it be- SPOILERS!!!!!! Fred Weasley without a doubt! 
25. Hallows or Horcruxes- Hallows... duh! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Sisterhood Blogger Award

Thank you to Bethany and Becca from the blog Clever Bunnies for nominating me for the Sisterhood Blogger Award! :)

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site (duly done above)
• Put the award logo on your blog (observe it to the right)
• Answer the the questions sent to you (duly done below)
• Make up ten new questions for you nominees to answer (duly done below)
• Nominate ten blogs (Duly done below) 

Now for answering Bethany and Becca's questions. :)

1. If you were stranded on an island with a box, what would you want to be in that box? Food, water and the Bible- because man cannot live on bread alone. ;)
2. Do you like to go camping and if so, where do you prefer to sleep (tent, camper, cabin, under the stars etc)? Growing up my family didn't really go camping but a few years ago my younger brother got a tent and since then I've camped a couple times down at the river/wooded area that run through my parents property. However every time we do that there's a storm and we end up having to go home halfway through the night. :(
3. What's the craziest thing you've ever cooked/baked? I'm not sure. Maybe my greek yogurt biscuits. :) They were rather on the unconventional side but delicious nonetheless. :)
4. What's the last movie you saw in theaters? Avengers: Age of Ultron :)
5. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you chose? A dog :)
6. Favorite flavor to combine with chocolate? There are so many good ones! I think maybe caramel or coffee. :)
7. If you were zapped back in time, where would you hope to end up and what one thing would you want with you? The victorian era I think... Jane Austen time period. ;) I'd want a copy of Pride and Prejudice so Jane Austen herself could autograph it. ;)
8. Do you sing along to the radio? I don't listen to the radio a lot... but when I do... yes. :)
9. Do you have any nicknames? I so what are they? I know I've mentioned them in a post before but here goes again. :) The main ones are- LoLo and Legalois (Like Legolas from LOTR... technically I know it should be legOlois but I always spell it with an A because otherwise it just looks like I love legos). ;)
10. You are all alone in your house and you hear a strange noise, what do you do? This happens to me all the time. I have variations of checking the door to make sure it's locked, creeping around the house to make sure no one is there or staying sitting comfortably in a recliner and shouting out to the house "if there's anyone there I'm armed". Thank goodness no one's ever taken me up on that threat. ;)

My questions for my nominees are:

1. Do you have any nicknames?
2. Favorite movie?
3. Favorite book? 
4. Favorite TV show?
5. How many siblings do you have? 
6. How many kids would you like to have? OR If you already have kids... How many kids do you have and do you want more?
7. What is your favorite activity to do with your family?
8. What is your current school status?
9. Dream vacation (if money was no object)?
10. Do you like tea? (just cause) ;)

I'll tag: Olivia (Meanwhile in Rivendellw), Selah (Bibliophile's Style), Julie (Smiling Shelves), Lianne (Eclectic Tales), Ashley (A-Z), Heidi (Along the Brandywine), Sophie (Ravens and Writing Desks), Katrina (Chased by my Imagination), Katherine (I Wish I Lived in a Library) and Holly (Nut Free Nerd).
If you want to join in on this and I didn't tag you just hop along! :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

10 of my Favorite Film Characters

The sweet Heidi from Along the Brandywine (cool name for a blog right?) tagged me to name my 10 favorite film characters. :) Needless to say this will be hard list to make! To make it easier for myself I'm excluding characters from movies based on books and I'm not including characters from TV shows.

1. Han Solo from Star Wars 
2. Cosmo Brown from Singing in the Rain 
3. Millie from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
4. Bryan Crookshanks from Charade
5. Martin Vanderhof from You Can't Take it With You 
6. Longfellow Deeds from Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
7. George Washington McLintock from McLintock 
8. Nick and Nora from The Thin Man movies
9. The Incredibles family from The Incredibles
10. Detective Lieutenant Mark McPherson from Laura

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The Not-Your-Average Disney Tag

The amazing Olivia from Meanwhile in Rivendell tagged me in this fun Disney related tag! :)

1. Favorite Disney movie of all time? Beauty and the Beast
2. Favorite Disney Character? Belle
3. First Disney movie seen in cinemas? I had to go look this one up. I actually haven't seen many Disney movies in theaters. I'm not counting the Pixar ones either that are for some reason are listed under Disney even though when they were made when Disney didn't own Pixar. Non-animated- The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe. Animated- Frozen... not positive on this because I might have gone and seen Up in theaters and that was after Disney owned Pixar but I still count that as Pixar so.... 
4. What Disney item do you collect the most? Nothing? The music I guess. I have plenty of the music. 
5. What is your favorite Disney song? Belle, Be our Guest, Under the Sea, Kiss the Girl, Poor Unfortunate Soul (I have a weird sense of humor?), I'll Make a Man out of You, That's How you Know, Love is an Open Door (cracks me up so much!), Do you want to Build a Snowman, I Won't Say I'm in Love (cracks me up a lot too!) and When Will my Life Begin. Honestly, there's few Disney songs I hate. They're so ridiculously catchy even though sometimes they are so ridiculously stupid! 
6. Which Disney voice actor would you like to meet? Never really thought of meeting any of them. 
7. Favorite Disney movie that is not a classic? Tangled! 
8. Flounder, Sebastian or Scuttle? Sebastian! 
9. Saddest moment in a Disney movie? Y'all know I'm not an emotional person so I've never cried over a movie but I have appreciate the sad moments. Probably Do you want to Build a Snowman makes me the saddest. It's very touching. I guess if we're counting Up as Disney then of course the beginning of it is beautifully touching as well. :)
10. Which Disney princess has the best sidekick? Rapunzel! Because Pascal is hilariously silent and Maximus is awesome! 
11. Of the lesser known Disney movies, which would you recommend? Snow White and the Seven Dwarves! I feel like no one really notices it as much as it was the first and not as great of quality but the story is fun and music is hilarious and fun! It was a favorite growing up... especially the Silly Song. :)

If you're a Disney lover (or hater too I guess) feel free to consider yourself tagged and answer the questions! :) 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Liebster Questions- Just for fun :)

Holly over at Nut Free Nerd posted some questions for the Liebster Award. I've already won several Liebster awards so I don't care about all of that but I do like answering questions. :)
Here are Holly's questions.

1. Bookmarks or folding the pages? Bookmarks
2. Paperback or hardcover? Hardcover 
3. Socks or Barefoot? Barefoot
4. Movies or TV shows? In the last few years I've watched more TV shows but before that I was definitely movies. I think though at this point in my life it's TV shows. I like watching a forty minute episode as opposed to a two hour movie... though sometimes it becomes two (or three!) forty minute episodes. ;)
5. Pens or Pencils? Depends but normally pens. 
6. Sci fi or fantasy? This is a hard question! I really knew little and had read or seen little with sci fi except Star Wars before a couple years ago and now I'm a big fan of it. However, I'm still a big fan of Fantasy... most notably the Lord of the Rings. I really don't feel like I can answer this question. 
7. Series or stand-alones? I think stand-alones. 
8. Rain or Snow? I HATE THEM BOTH!!!!!!!! Probably snow more though. Rain actually has benefits. 
9. Shopping online or in stores? Depends. Probably online though. 
10. Road tripping or flying? Road tripping. 
11. Answering questions or asking them? So I feel like I'm contradicting myself after I just stated above that I like answering questions. To be clear, I like answering them when I have time to think about an answer... like when I'm writing a blog post. I do not like getting questions sprung on me. So I'd go with asking questions. :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I Mustache You Some Questions Tag!

I saw this tag over at Spoonful of Happy Endings and you all know I love tags so naturally I couldn't resist!

Four names people call me other than my real name

1. Lo-Lo- Mostly my Dad :)
2. Peppernut- A nickname since birth... long history behind it.
3. Lega-Lois- After Legolas from LOTR.... that has a long history to it as well.
4. Lois Lane- Please just do NOT ever call me this! I've never seen any Superman movies and I know minimally about Superman but I promise you basically everything I know is relate to people always relating my name to Lois Lane! I'm sick of it! Don't do it! Rant over. ;)

Four jobs I've had

1. Waterer at a nursery
2. Student worker at my college's library
3. Pig farmer (not sure what my title was actually) at a pig farm
4. No more yet but hoping for a nursing job soon once I graduate! 

Four movies I've watched more than once (I've watched plenty more than once but these are my favorite to rewatch and probably the movies I've rewatched the most... not necessarily my favorite movies).

1. Pride and Prejudice 1995
2. National Treasure
3. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
4. Charade

Four Books I would Recommend (so many but I'm narrowing it down!)

1. The Bible (of course!)
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (duh!)
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Four places I have visited- I'm not much of a traveller as evidenced here. Not that I don't want to travel because I do, I just haven't much. 

1. Costa Rica
2. Canada
3. Colorado
4. Yellowstone National Park

Four places I would rather be now

1. England
2. Ireland
3. Scotland
4. Italy

Four things I don't eat (actually two... I'm not a very picky eater)

1. Bell peppers
2. Fish (I do eat it sometimes) 

Four TV Shows I watch (A lot.... But I'll just include some of my favorites and of course I couldn't keep it down to just four)

1. Doctor Who
2. Leverage
3. Stargate: Atlantis
4. Psych
5. Monk
6. Firefly

Four things I'm looking forward to this year (2015)

1. Graduating from nursing school!!!
2. Startin a job as a real nurse!
3. Regaining my sanity ;)
4. Spending more time with my family once I'm free from the clutches of school! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just a List of Random Questions Tag!

Olivia/Arwen from Meanwhile in Rivendell (which is my new favorite blog!!!!) tagged me in the Just a List of Random Questions Tag!!! 

~ Animated movies - what's your opinion?

Some of them are my very favorites and others of them make me groan. For example, Pixar movies for the most part I love them! Incredibles is a family favorite! I like a fair number of the Disney movies but there are definitely some that are just... dumb. However, normally I like Disney music though again some of it sometimes is just dumb. I can't deny it's beautiful and catchy though. I'll admit though sometimes I love animated movies because of their goofiness... just don't get too goofy on me. 

~ Do you prefer earbuds or headphones?

Earbuds! 

~ What is one thing it seems like everybody loves but you (could be a book, song, movie, author, actor, food, whatevs)?

The Hunger Games and Pride and Prejudice 2005 version 

~ Do you have flowers in your room 

No... on the wallpaper though! 

~ Do you like the sound of keys on a keyboard clicking?

Yes! As long as it's not too loud.

~ Who is one fictional character whom you absolutely loathe with a burning passion? 

Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter

~ Are you a procrastinator?

Yes! There are some things I manage not to procrastinate on but normally I do procrastinate unfortunately. 

~ Shoes or no?

At home no! Outside of my home I prefer to wear flip flops but I'll wear shoes in the winter. 

~ What are three movies that take you back to the dear old days gone forever 

Life with Father, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Swan Princess 

~ Pens or pencils?

It depends on the situation. Normally pens though.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Bookshelf Tag!

I am on a tag roll recently! I love doing them! This one was created by Raindrops and Roses. :)

Describe your bookshelf (or wherever it is you keep your books-it doesn't actually have to be a shelf!) and where you got it from.

I got my bookshelf a few years back... probably from Wal Mart but I don't remember. My bookshelf is at my parents so I also keep a stack of books at my house so I have a ready supply on hand. 

My current bookshelf layout. I say current
because I'm about ready to run out of space.
And yes, I have a ridiculous number of ceramics
on my shelf. They're ones I made back when I was
 in 4-H and I don't know what to to with them! 

Do you have any special or different way of organizing your books?

I sort them by alphabetic order by author's last name. That's how my dad always sorted them so I just thought that would be the easiest way. Additionally I sort the books by the author in alphabetic order by title.

What's the thickest (most amount of pages) book on your shelf?

After some diligent searching through the page numbers of thick books on my shelf I discovered it's my new copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare- 1263 pages! 

What's the thinnest (least amount of pages) book on your shelf?

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence- 61 pages. I actually have two copies of this book as two people gave it to me for a graduation present and one actually has more pages than the other- different versions. I thought it was going to be my copy of Dr. Seuss's ABC but it's 63 pages. :)

Is there a book you received as a birthday gift?

I received The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers for my birthday this year. :)

What's the smallest (height and width wise) book on your shelf?

Once again it's The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

What's the biggest (height and width wise) book on your shelf?

And also once again The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. 

Is there a book from a friend on your shelf?

My best friend eBeth actually started me out on my book collection. A good chunk of the books I own are ones she gave me. She would always give me her duplicates. I know she supplied my whole Chronicles of Narnia collection and she also gave me my copy of Persuasion. I'm not sure what else... a lot! :) I have an awesome friend. 

Most expensive book?

Probably The Complete Works of William Shakespeare but I didn't actually have to pay for it because I had a gift card! :)

The last book you read on your shelf?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (it was a re-read)

Of all the books on your shelf, which was the first you read?

Probably Dr. Seuss's ABC, which makes me laugh. :) 

Do you have more than one copy of a book?

I have two copies of The Horse and His Boy, The Two Towers, Tom Sawyer, and Killer Angels. The last two I didn't mean to get two copies of but I forgot I already had copies of them. That's okay though... they're great books so two copies is better than one. ;)

Do you have the complete series of any book series?

I have the complete series of the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings (I guess that's a trilogy not a series but whatever!). I really want the complete series of Anne of Green Gables! 

What's the newest addition to your shelf?

I just got a big haul from the used bookstore last week. :) It includes all of Amanda Grange's Austen heroes diaries, my second copy of Killer Angels, The Last Full Measure, Life Expectancy, Elephants Can Remember, The Harlequin Tea Set, Hercule Poroit's Christmas and Animal Farm. 

What book has been on your shelf FOREVER?

Probably the Chronicles of Narnia. 

What's the most recently published book on your shelf?

Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange- 2011

The oldest book on your shelf (as in, the actual copy is old)?

 I'm not going to look through all my books but I looked at the oldest looking ones and I think it's my copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion- 1960.

A book you won?

None. 

A book you'd hate to let out of your sight (aka a book you never let someone borrow)?

I'm pretty generous with lending out books. I'm not sure there's one I'd not lend out. However, my Complete Works of Shakespeare is pretty nice I'd had to lose it. 

Most beat up book?

My copy of The Voyage of the Dawn Treasure is in two pieces and one of my copies of The Two Towers is pretty beat up too. 

Most pristine book?

The Complet Works of Shakespeare. 

A book from your childhood?

Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. 

A book that's not actually your book?

At first I thought that they were all mine but then I remembered that my copy of Much Ado about Nothing, isn't exactly mine. We read it for 4-H reading group some years back and my mom bought multiple copies so we'd have enough to go around and I kind of just held on to it. 

A book with a special/different cover (e.g. leather bound, soft fuzzy cover etc.)?

My copy of The Valley of Vision has a leather cover. It feels really luxurious! :) 

A book that is your favorite color?

My copy of Beowulf has a beautiful teal color... which is my favorite color... I love all shades of blue. :) 

Book that's been on your shelf the longest that you STILL haven't read?

Probably The Czar by Deborah Alcock. I really need to get around to reading it. I've had it for a couple years now. 

Any signed books?

Not on my shelf but on my parents shelves we have several signed copies of Brian Jacques novels from when we went to a signing/talk from him. I even have a picture with him. :) 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin