As my due date approaches I've been making checklists and trying to actually complete them. I did get the Christmas tree down finally last week. I've been buying more books at used book sales and Goodwill so adding to my workload. I'm just clever that way. I have a pretty good stash of freezer meals already though!
We had our first baby shower recently, that some dear friends put on for us and specifically made Tolkien themed. It was AMAZING!!! We had hobbit themed snacks and decorations. There was even a "No admittance except on party business" sign on their door! It was a Tolkien nerd's dream! And while not everyone gave us Tolkien themed gifts several did and we came away with some Tolkien art, a little hobbit dress and a quilted wall hanging of Bag End! Here are a few pictures of the marvelous event!
I'm afraid no other baby shower will ever match up! It was a dream come true!
Anyways on to reading! I've finished up a couple books recently and I'm working on some more. I'm feeling behind already but I'm trying not to let it stress me out and just enjoy the reading I do get done.
Finished Recently
Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by LaLeche League
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (re-read)
Currently Reading
The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot (audiobook)
I've lost track of the number of Liebster Awards I've been nominated for but here goes another one. This time Hamlette from Hamlette's Soliloquy nominated me.
Here's my answers to the eleven questions Hamlette asked me. :) 1. Are there any movies you like better than the books they were based on? No! That's sacrilegious! ;) Just kidding. Actually there is one... but only one. I liked the movie of The Book Thief better than the book. Sue me. ;)
2. Have you ever liked a remake better than the original film? I'm really racking my brain trying to think of a film where I've seen both the remake and the original. I even talked to my dad about it who is a movie genius and we could come to no conclusion on one. Part of it is I think it's unfair to include films based off of books but apparently that's what I'll have to go with. I prefer the 2015 version of Far From the Madding Crowd to the 1967 version and I prefer the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice to the 1980 and 1940 versions but I do NOT prefer the 2005 version to the 1995 version... which if you're a long time reader of the blog you'll know already. :) 3. What movie do you enjoy introducing other people to? Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is fun to introduce to people because it's so odd.
4. Do you identify strongly with any movie characters? Anne Shirley, Catherine Morland, Jo March... which are all book characters also... cheating again!
5. Do you have any favorite film score composers? John Williams! I also adore Howard Shore's LOTR and Hobbit soundtracks.
6. What's the oldest movie you've ever watched? I've actually watched the first ever made movie, which if you've seen Hugo you'd be familiar with. It is about some scientists that travel to the moon and their rocket hits the eye of the man in the moon. It's.... odd.
7. What's the newest movie you've watched? Captain America: Civil War!!!!
8. Do you have any favorite movie-watching snacks? Popcorn for sure.
9. Whose movie recommendations do you tend to trust? My dad's.
10. What was the last movie you watched? Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.... My brother was watching it with a friend and I got sucked in because I can't get enough of Kenneth Branagh playing Gilderoy Lockhart!
11. What's the next movie you plan to watch? We need to finish rewatching the LOTR. Return of the King is next! :)
Steal the questions and consider yourself tagged if you have the mind!
I've seen this tag on a couple different blogs and I decided to steal it cause that's what I do. :)
Vital Stats
Name- Lois :) Nicknames- Lo-lo sometimes if my family is feeling obnoxious. Peppernut (big backstory there). Lego-lois (like Legolas... get it... it's hilarious... especially if you say it a million times). Lois Lane from my patients because they think it's absolutely hilarious and that I've never heard that one before. I have... too many times thank you! Place of Birth- Kansas!
Firsts
Award- I'm not sure. Probably something from 4-H. Sport- Ha! I did gymnastics when I was a kid but never played a sport otherwise except at home. Real Holiday- I think the first memories I have of holidays would be Christmas but the first one I would have experienced would have been Easter. Concert- Well there's a special story for this one but I don't actually remember it as I was just a wee lass but I've just heard it many times. Anyways, the local orchestra was preforming and my family was there and we were sitting in bleachers and I guess me, being the bouncy youngster that I was, was hopping between my dad's legs during it and I managed to fall through the bleachers. I hit the cross bar on the way down and my screams upon hitting the ground stopped the concert. I've been a show stopper ever since. ;) Anyways I survived with just a bump on my head and a great story. :)
Favorites
Film- Pride and Prejudice (1995) which is technically a miniseries but if I had to chose an actually movie that was a favorite I couldn't! A few of my favorites that I could watch over and over again though are McLintock, Charade, National Treasure and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. TV Show- Doctor Who Color- Blue and all of it's variations Song- Currently I think Celtic Woman's "When You Go". It's addictively catchy. Listen to it!
Restaurant- I don't go out to eat much but I do love Panera. For a real nice restaurant I always loved Macaroni Grill but they got rid of the one close to me some years back. :( Books- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Currently
Feeling- Tired. :( Single or Taken- Single Eating- I had a salad... for breakfast... which was kind of weird but I was craving one. Watching- Chocolat with my mom. Wearing- My pajamas. The costume of queens!
Future
Want children? Very much so. But as the old saying goes... First comes love, then comes marriage THEN comes a baby in a baby carriage. Want to be married- Very much so. Careers in mind- Well I am currently a nurse and the only reason I see to ever change that is if I become a wife and mother. I always wanted to be a writer but I don't think that will ever happen. :) Where you want to live- I love where I live. Kansas is a great state. :) Now England, Scotland or Ireland would be lovely too.
Do You Believe In...
God- Yes Miracles- Yes Love at first sight- Really? No. Ghosts- No Aliens- No Heaven- Yes Hell- Yes Yourself- I believe that I can do nothing except through Christ so I guess no. I believe in God and his ability to work through even me. :)
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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! ;)
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?
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....
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.
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. :)
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!
Today's theme for Top Ten Tuesday is top ten books that would be on my syllabus if I taught X 101. I went with classics because.... duh... this is Lois. ;) Some of these are my favorites others of these I like but they're not my absolute favorite though I think they should be included because they are great literature. I tried to include a mixture of more modern classics and classic classics.
I also included a secondary list. Because if I had this class I would give them extra credit for reading the secondary reading list. Now I really want to teach this class!
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (I prefer it to Tom Sawyer)
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Beowulf by Unknown
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
1984 or Animal Farm by George Orwell
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Secondary Reading
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Emma by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
There are obviously a LOT of great classics so of course I missed some good ones. Even though I've read so many classics there are so many I still have yet to read so just because your favorite isn't on here doesn't mean it doesn't deserve to be! Frankenstein, 1984, Animal Farm, David Copperfield, Great Expectations and Anna Karenina are not my favorites but I can appreciate them and I think they are very interesting books to look at and study.
Any you would add?
The theme for this week's top ten Tuesday is your top ten auto-buy authors. So you all know I read mostly classic works so most of these authors aren't putting out books anymore. I'm just going to list the ones that I don't already own all of their works (which is why Jane Austen isn't on the list). For those not familiar with some of these authors, I have put in parentheses one of their more famous works.
J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings)
Charles Dickens (David Copperfield)
Agatha Christie (Murder on the Orient Express)
C.S. Lewis (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe)
Louisa May Alcott (Little Women)
Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)
Emmuska Orczy (The Scarlet Pimpernel)
G.A. Henty (In the Reign of Terror)
Brian Jacques (Redwall)
P.G. Wodehouse (The Code of the Woosters)
With these authors I would have no hesitation in buying their novels. They are tried and true authors who have never let me down. :)
This week's them is the top ten authors I've read he most books from. Now we already did one of the top ten authors we own the books of and these lists will be pretty similar. Looking back at that list though I see I owned a lot less books then. I thankfully have Goodreads to tell me the answers to this list though there are books (mostly ones I read as a child) that still haven't gotten put on Goodreads.
Agatha Christie- According to Goodreads I've read 69 of her books... I'm not sure if that number is totally accurate... I think I've read more than that. I've read almost all of her books.
P.G.Wodehouse- According to Goodreads I've read 43 of his books... that number is probably pretty accurate.
Thornton Burgess- A favorite author growing up. According to Goodreads I've read 38 of his books.
Brian Jacques- According to Goodreads I've read 28 of his books. I'm pretty sure I've read all of his books.
G.A. Henty- According to Goodreads I've read 21 of his books. I think though I've read more.
C.S. Lewis- According to Goodreads I've read 14 of his books.
Charles Dickens- According to Goodreads I've read 14 of his books.
J.R.R. Tolkien- According to Goodreads I've read 13 of his books.
Arthur Ransome- According to Goodreads I've read 12 of his books.
L.M. Montgomery- According to Goodreads I've read 12 of her books.
I saw this over at Meanwhile in Rivendell and being a tag stealer and a theme song lover I stole it. No regrets. ;) To make it simpler, I'm excluding themes from actual musicals. They are in no particular order.
Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
Duh! That music is so good! Howard Shore created a masterpiece when he wrote that music. The shire theme always just makes me feel at home. :)
Doctor Who
Because Doctor Who! What else matters? ;) I love the theme music, the tenth and eleventh doctor's themes and all of the companions themes but especially Clara's.
Jurassic Park
I could listen to it's theme music all day long! I can't get enough of it. :)
Indian Jones
So much fun! So much action! So much Harrison Ford! ;)
Star Wars
John Williams' greatest masterpiece. :)
Harry Potter
I really feel John Williams' music really captures the magic (no pun intended) of the books. :)
Leverage
Because Leverage! And once again... what else matters? ;) Such a fun theme. :)
Pride and Prejudice (1995)
I grew up with this movie and I grew up with that music. The opening sequence with the lady embroidering and the music playing was a favorite. :)
Little Dorrit (2008)
I think when trying to get me to watch this miniseries my cousins raved just as much about the music as the actual show. Now I know why. :)
Lorna Doone
A magnificent soundtrack. The "love theme" is one of my favorite musical pieces ever! It actually makes me emotional... which you all know doesn't really happen to me often. It's at 7:37 in this video and you should definitely listen to it. :)
So I reached ten and realized there are so many more I want to include!!!!
So honorable mentions!
Pirates of the Caribbean
North and South (2004)
Wives and Daughters
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Chronicles of Narnia (LWW) (2005)
Gods and Generals
The Sea Hawk
Robin Hood (1938)
Charade
I love listening to soundtracks from movies and TV shows. :)
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- Now I know what you're thinking.... Lois, this has already been made into movies, good movies too. I agree on both points. However, I think it could be better and I was just thinking recently that I could see The Lord of the Rings being a very good TV show. Thoughts?
The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien- I actually don't see potential in The Silmarllion being made into a movie but I think there's a lot of potential for The Children of Hurin to be made into one as it's just one story, it's shorter and it would be pretty cool on screen with a dragon and all! Plus, I love the book. :)
Redwall series by Brian Jacques- I know there was the animated TV series which was meh but I'd love to see a well done TV series done of these books that wasn't really childish.
The Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum- I love the Oz series, I read and re-read those books countless times growing up and I'll be honest... I'm not a big fan of the Judy Garland film... part of it is I'm not a fan of Judy Garland. There are definitely some parts I do like of the film and I do watch it but's it's just not my favorite. I'd love to see a movie or TV series of all the stories that a little more closely follows the books, capturing the quirkiness and fun of the stories.
Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz- There's already been a film version of Koontz's other book Odd Thomas so I think it's time to make another of his books into a film and Life Expectancy is one of my favorites and I think it would be an interesting film. :)
The Binding of the Blades series by L.B. Graham- One of my favorite fantasy series. I think it would be great on screen! :)
Coronation of Glory: The Story of Lady Jane Grey by Deborah Meroff- I love this book and I think it's high time a GOOD movie was made about Lady Jane Grey!
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen- I know there have been three versions made of Mansfield Park so far but none of them are great. They need to make a GREAT one!!!!!
Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse- There have been movies or TV series made of many of Wodehouse's other books but not this one yet. This one NEEDS to be made! It is my favorite of his books and I think it would be hilarious on screen!
Armadale by Wilkie Collins- I just read this recently and I think it would be fascinating as a movie. :)
This week's Top Ten Tuesday theme is a freebie so I'm going with my Top Ten Literary Couples! :)
When I'm reading a book or watching a movie a lot of what I look for in a couple is respect and a great sense of humor. :) I think that is reflected in this list. :)
Obviously I couldn't just stop at ten! So here you go in on particular order!
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Eowyn and Faramir from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey
Mr. Knightley and Emma Wodehouse from Jane Austen's Emma
Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park
Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen's Persuasion
Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferris from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility
Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility
Molly Gibson and Roger Hamley from Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughers
Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and others
Arthur Clenham and Amy Dorrit from Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit
Mr. Thornton and Margaret Hale from Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South
Beatrice and Benedict from William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
Sir Percival Blakeney and Marguerite St. Just from Emmuska Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel
And for the fun of it.... movie and TV show favorites as well!
Parker and Hardison from the TV show Leverage
Amy and Rory from the TV show Doctor. Who
The Doctor and River Song from the TV show Doctor. Who
Martha and Mickey from the TV show Doctor. Who
Nick and Nora from the Thin Man movies
Han Solo and Princess Leia from the Star Wars movies
G.W. McLintock and Katy McLintock from the movie McLintock
Patty and Canoe from the movie That Darn Cat
Marjorie Winfield and Bill Sherman from the movies On Moonlight Bay and By the Light of the Silvery Moon.
Dr. Bradford and Paula Bradford in the movie The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
I'm sure I missed some great ones so comment and remind me!
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
Lo-Lo- Mostly my Dad :)
Peppernut- A nickname since birth... long history behind it.
Lega-Lois- After Legolas from LOTR.... that has a long history to it as well.
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
Waterer at a nursery
Student worker at my college's library
Pig farmer (not sure what my title was actually) at a pig farm
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).
Pride and Prejudice 1995
National Treasure
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Charade
Four Books I would Recommend (so many but I'm narrowing it down!)
The Bible (of course!)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (duh!)
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
Costa Rica
Canada
Colorado
Yellowstone National Park
Four places I would rather be now
England
Ireland
Scotland
Italy
Four things I don't eat (actually two... I'm not a very picky eater)
Bell peppers
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)
Doctor Who
Leverage
Stargate: Atlantis
Psych
Monk
Firefly
Four things I'm looking forward to this year (2015)
Graduating from nursing school!!!
Startin a job as a real nurse!
Regaining my sanity ;)
Spending more time with my family once I'm free from the clutches of school!
Holly over at Nut Free Nerd posted this tag and she tagged everyone who hadn't done it yet so that's me! ;)
If you could invite one author and one of their fictional characters to tea, who would you invite and what would you serve them?
Good question! Since we're talking tea I think the only logical answer here is Jane Austen! As for which character, I'd say either Elizabeth Bennet or Henry Tilney. I'd serve them a traditional English tea. :)
Which book do you wish the author would write a prequel for?
Yikes! Tricky question. I think I'd agree with Holly and say Harry Potter. I'd love to read a prequel with Harry's parents and company.
Which two characters (not from the same book) do you think would make a good couple?
Well this is something I've never thought about. I'm honestly racking my brain and nothing comes to mind!
If you ran into your favorite author on the subway and you could only say one sentence to them who is it and what would it be?
Well running into Jane Austen when she is almost 200 years dead would be quite an experience! However, I would say something that tried not to reflect how strange I felt it was to be running into a skeleton on the subway. Something like "fancy seeing you around here Miss Austen!" ;)
What book made you a reader and why?
I can't think of any specific book that made me a reader. I like to say I was born a reader. My Dad made a big influence in my reading and it was really thanks to him I am the reader I am today.
Your bookshelf just caught on fire! What is the one book you would save?
One book One book? This is horrible! Considering I just bought some more books this makes me feel terribly sad! However, I suppose I would have to grab Pride and Prejudice.
Which dystopian world would you want to live in and why?
The number of dystopian books I've read I can count on one hand. I can list them here for you! 1984, Animal Farm, Brave New World, and The Giver. I wouldn't want to live in any of those worlds! I suppose overall thought I'd chose the world of The Giver.
What is your most epic read of all time?!?!?!
Personally I feel the word "epic" is overused nowadays. However, there is one book on this blog that I tend to refer to as epic because it is indeed worthy of that title. Obviously this book is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien!!!!
Arwen over at Meanwhile, In Rivendell...posted answers to a Chocolate Book Tag and I love the idea so I'm posting my answers too. By the way, you should definitely check out Arwen's blog! I just found it recently but I love it already! :)
Dark Chocolate (A book that covers a dark topic)
The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang- I read this last year and it is so sad and definitely dark. However, it's non-fiction so let me think of a fiction novel also. :) So I'm thinking of C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. It definitely has dark themes about sin but is incredibly interesting. If you haven't read it you should! Someday I mean to re-read it.
White Chocolate (A light and humorous read)
I read a lot of light and humorous books. I love any books by P.G. Wodehouse... they are all very light and humorous.
Milk Chocolate (A book with a lot of hype that you're dying to read)
The Golem and the Jinni- There's probably not as much hype about it now but I remember a year ago or so everyone was raving about it. I'm hoping to read it this year. :)
Carmel-Filled Chocolate (A book that makes you feel all gooey inside)
You know, despite my not calling myself a romantic over and over again on my blog, I do find that I have a soft spot for a nice romance. However, I still don't like straight up romance and I don't like anything over the top mushy gushy. Anyways... I digress... Any book that has a happy ending where the guy and girl get together in the end makes me feel pretty happy. I tend to get a really sappy grin on my face to be honest (blushes). To be honest, Pride and Prejudice is the first book I think of that makes me feel like that every time I finish it.
Wafer-less Kit-Kat (A book that surprised you)
I'd have to agree with Arwen and say Beowulf. It wasn't at all what I expected and I LOVED it!
Snickers (A book you're going nuts about!)
Recently probably Beowulf and Peace Like a River. However, long-term the books I will forever go nuts about are Pride and Prejudice and The Lord of the Rings.
Hot Chocolate with marshmallows (The book you turn to for comfort)
Hmmm. There are a lot of books that I have gone back to time and time again that aren't comfort reads necessarily but I definitely go back to them like they're an old friend. They're also not necessarily exemplary novels, I just love them. :) These would be Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, The Harry Potterseries and Coronation of Glory.
A Box of Chocolates (A series you feel has something for everyone)
I think I'd agree once again with Arwen and say The Chronicles of Narnia.
It's 2015! Already I'm heading into the new year full speed. I began reading Beowulf just shortly after midnight New Year's Day just for the fun of it and then finished it later that day. :) This is also my first day of Bout of Books!
I don't know if people get reading cravings but I if they do I have one! For the last few days I've been longing for a re-read of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I can't get rid of the longing! This is not planned into my schedule of reading this year but I'm thinking I'm going to have to work it in somehow. It's such a great book that I don't see why I should resist this craving. ;) For now I'll probably just suffice with Tolkien's The Book of Lost Tales but I think I'll take LOTR along with me when we go on our family ski trip next week. It's rather appropriate actually as the last time I re-read LOTR was two years ago on our last ski trip. :)
Finished this Week
Beowulf by Unknown- Excellent poem! I was surprised to love it! A beautiful mixture of the epicness of Tolkien and the poetry format of Homer's Odyssey. A full review will hopefully be coming soon. :)
Agamemnon by Aeschylus- Somewhat difficult to read and comprehend but interesting nonetheless.
Currently Reading
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (re-read) (audiobook)- A classic childhood favorite. :)
This week for top ten tuesday the topic is "Top ten characters you wish would get their own book".
Luna Lovegood from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
Merry and Pippin from J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR
Gandalf from J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR
Aragorn from J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR
Legolas and Gimlie from J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR
Mr. Collins from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice... can you imagine the potential for a satirical novel on Mr. Collins... and Lady Catherine de Bourgh too of course??? :)
Reepicheep from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia
Jane Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Tom Bombadil from J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR... though actually I am pretty sure there is a book about him but I haven't read it yet so let's pretend I'm still in ignorance. ;)
Eomer from J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR
As you can see, my LOTR and Jane Austen love shines ever bright. ;)
Now this is a subject I feel passion about! Best part of it is that it can be real or (bum bum bum) FICTIONAL!!!!
Middle Earth- Read Lord of the Rings and oh my I just want to go there! The movies' beautiful scenery doesn't help my longing.
England- All of Jane Austen's novels and any other novels set there. I want to go there so bad!!!!!!!
Oz- From of course The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series. Those were my favorites as a kid!
Hogwarts- From the Harry Potter series. :)
Redwall, Salamandastron, ect- From Brian Jacques's Redwall series Another favorite from when I was young.
Scotland- From G.A. Henty's In Freedom's Cause
Botswana- From The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Mary Poppin Land- Is that a place? Just wherever Mary Poppins goes... it's always amazing!
Narnia- From C.S. Lewi's Chronicles of Narnia
Neverland- From J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. I'd never have to grow up! Wishful thinking I know. However, growing up I must do, much as I do not want to. On a more serious note, I think a serious problem with our society is people never wanting to grow up. Thoughts on that?
So many of these are fictional... obviously I'm not fond of reality. ;)
Between not having Wifi during the week while I'm at work on the pig farm and going on my mission trip to Costa Rica I haven't really been churning out blog posts. Don't worry, this trend shouldn't continue once the summer is over. :) So for today I'm giving you a top ten tuesday and the theme is my favorite classic books. :)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- Duh!
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- Again... duh!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Leave it Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse
Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
The Golf Omnibus by P.G. Wodehouse
Except the first two these books aren't in any specific order. I was kind of in a hurry making the list so don't sue me over the books I chose. These were just the favorites that first came to mind. :) I love most every classic work of literature these are just my favorites.
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling- I think some of the greatest books about friendship written in my honest opinion. I'm not an obsessed fan about Harry Potter but there are several great points to them and this is one of them.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- Through thick and thin Frodo and Sam... You know what I mean. There's also Legolas and Gimli. The whole fellowship though is just a great picture of friendship. You know, I might take my above statement about the Harry Potter series back. I'm not sure.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery- Bosom friends!
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis- I love Bree and Shasta and their fun and crazy friendship. This is my favorite of C.S. Lewis's novels.
Poroit series by Agatha Christie- Poroit and Captain Hastings are such a fun duo! I also like Poroit and Inspector Japp. :)
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak- I enjoy the friendships that Liesel has with Rudy and Max.
Redwall series by Brain Jacques- There are always fun and touching friendships in Jacques's books that I have always enjoyed.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- There are a lot of friendships I enjoy in this novel and they are all familial. Lizzy and her father is one of my favorite relationships/friendships in all of literature. I also love Lizzy and Jane's friendship.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen- Fanny and Edmund's friendship is another great relationship and I appreciate that they ended up SPOILER getting married in the end. END SPOILER. The book shows a beautiful transition from friendship to marriage. In my opinion, friendship is a good start to entering into a romantic relationship.
Emma by Jane Austen- Knightley and Emma's friendship is another relationship that SPOILER resulted in marriage. END SPOILER. It is a lot like a brother-sister friendship, which I love.
What friendships do you enjoy in literature? I would have included more Austen but I don't want to completely override all of my lists with my obsessions so I just included my favorites. ;)
Linking up with The Broke and the Bookish.
The link up for today at The Broke and the Bookish was "All time favorite books in X genre". I chose fantasy as that's probably my favorite reading genre. :) While it is my favorite genre I haven't actually read tons of books in that genre so we'll see if I get a list of ten. And these are in no way in any order, though LOTR is definitely number one.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (duh)
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Redwall series by Brian Jacques
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (first one is good but I don't really care for the others)
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
The Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll
We'll I did come up with ten, though I wasn't exactly consistent with how I listed them (some I listed series, some I listed single titles). I'm so afraid I missed something obvious but who knows. I went scrolling through lists of fantasy books which jogged my memory. I almost forgot certain books/series were fantasy. :)
P.S. I know I said I'd announce the winners for my giveaway today. Please know I haven't forgotten... I am going to post it later on today. :)
