2019 Tolkien Blog Party Tag

Hamlette over at Hamlette's Soliloquy is hosting a Tolkien Blog Party again and she has this splendiferous tag. Go forthwith and participate HERE.
Here are my answers to the tag.

Would you rather... 

1. Join Thorin's company or the Fellowship? The Fellowship. Sometimes the dwarves just get on my nerves... ahem... Thorin.
2. Ride Shadowflax or an eagle? I think an eagle but it's a hard choice. I love the idea of flying! 
3. Travel through Moria or Mirkwood? Yikes! Neither seem a pleasant prospect. I don't like the darkness and haunting dangers of Moria but giant spiders? No! I cannot chose! 
4. Learn to make elvish or mithril chainmail? Both are handy but think how much you could sell that chainmail for?!  
5. Try to outwit Smaug or Saruman? I think being small and Smaug being so big it might be easier to try and outwit Smaug. Saruman is just too sly and eerie with his hypnotizing voice. 
6.  Spend an hour with Grima Wormtongue or Denethor? I have choice words for Denethor that I'm not sure even an hour would suffice to tell! But I'd try! 
7. Attend Faramir's wedding or Samwise's? I love hobbits so I'm going with Sam's! 
8. Have to care for the One Ring or the Arkenstone for a day? Less temptations from the Arkenstone but think how fun and handy it could be to have the power to be invisible for one day? Never mind when the time comes to give it up! 😜
9. Have tea with Bilbo or Frodo? Both could be fascinating but I lean Bilbo for his long rich life and wonderful tales. 
10. Fight alongside Boromir or Eomer? Eomer! He's a character I've really grown to appreciate over the years. His devotion to his sister, Eowyn, and his uncle, King Theoden, are truly commendable. Boromir is fine and I have grown to like him more with time but today I side with Eomer. 

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It's Monday! Of Checklists and a Tolkien Party

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)
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (eBook)
• The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens 
• The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (eBook)
• God Is by Mark Jones

Coming Soon

• Nothing planned right now. 

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2016 Secret Santa

This year I again participated in Broke and Bookish's Secret Santa. It was a lot of fun last year so I was excited for this year. I sent off my package at the beginning of the month and eagerly awaited for my gift to come. Yesterday it came and it was amazing!!!!
Allison from Aliza Shandel really put a lot of thought into my gift. I got three books, tea, chocolate, bookmarks she calligraphed Jane Austen and Tolkien quotes on, and gloves she embroidered a T.A.R.D.I.S. and Doctor Who quote on and a flash drive with some fun reels and jigs. All of my favorite things!!!!
Here are a few pictures of the goodies!

Thank you Allison!!!!

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And Yet Another Liebster Award!

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!

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Book Review- The Hobbit

For the Audiobook challenge and the Hard Core Re-Reading Challenge I read (aka listened to) J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit. If you read my blog you'll know I'm a huge Tolkien fan. Normally I re-read LOTR a lot but this year before re-reading LOTR I decided to read The Hobbit first. I'm so glad I did as it was a great experience and I've come to love The Hobbit as much has I do LOTR though it is quite different in many ways.

Synopsis from Goodreads: In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

This books makes me feel cozy and at home. First you meet Bilbo, the beloved homebody living in his wonderful hole in the ground. :) Then comes Gandalf to stir things up. Gandalf in The Hobbit is kind of different then he is in LOTR. He seems more silly. More lighthearted for sure. You see him utilizing his magic more often in The Hobbit but somehow he doesn't seem quite as powerful in The Hobbit as he does in LOTR. This time reading it I really came to notice how Tolkien does not stray away from flawed characters. However flawed the "good" characters are though they are still good and honorable. Take Thorin for example. A very complicated character that we love but has a lot of issues (coughdragonsicknesscough). ;)

When reading The Hobbit it feels so much smaller than the LOTR but you also feel how much potential there is with the world that Tolkien has created in it and of course that is drawn out in LOTR and Tolkien's other Middle Earth works. It all started with The Hobbit though. The Hobbit is different from Tolkien's other Middle Earth stories like LOTR and The Silmarillion in that it is a children's story (though obviously adults enjoy it too). The whole tone is much lighter though actually I noticed this time reading it that there are definitely some darker undertones.

A small note on the movies. I know I reviewed the first one when it came out and never reviewed any of the others. That's not because I didn't see them I was just too frustrated. Re-reading The Hobbit now reminds me how much they messed up in the movies and makes me even more unhappy. I liked the first one for the most part (though it certainly messed up aspects as well), as it really seemed to get the spirit of the book. After the first movie though the movies seemed to lose the feel of The Hobbit. Don't even get me started on Tauriel. Just don't.

I'm not really sure what else I can say about this book. I loved it. Simply and truly. Tolkien is always a favorite with me and re-reading this just solidified that feeling. If you want to try out some Tolkien but are intimidated by the size of LOTR definitely pick up The Hobbit. It really opens you up to the experience, drawing you into Tolkien's beautiful writing and imagery as well as delightful sense of humor.

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The Get to Know Me Tag

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. :)

Want to do this tag? Be a Lois.... steal it! ;)

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Book Review- Farmer Giles of Ham

For the library reading challenge I read J.R.R. Tolkien's children's story Farmer Giles of Ham.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Farmer Giles of Ham is a light-hearted satire for readers of all ages that tells the tale of a reluctant hero who must save his village from a dragon. It is a small gem of a tale that grows more delightful with each rereading.

I wasn't intending at all to read Farmer Giles of Ham this year but I saw it at the library and it was Tolkien so I had to grab it. It's such a delightful little tale and one that Tolkien originally told as a story to his children. This version that I read included the original way Tolkien told the story and then his fleshed out version that became the book so it was fascinating to see how the story evolved. It's very clever and fun and Farmer Giles made me think of a hobbit, which is always a winner with me. Overall I enjoyed this light little tale. While Tolkien wrote incredible epics he also wrote delightful children's stories and that is evidenced by Farmer Giles of Ham.

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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! 

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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!

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Top Ten Books That Would Be On My Syllabus If I Taught Classics 101

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!

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
4. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (I prefer it to Tom Sawyer)
5. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
6. Beowulf by Unknown
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
9. 1984 or Animal Farm by George Orwell
10. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Secondary Reading

1. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
3. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
4. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
5. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
6. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
7. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
8. Emma by Jane Austen
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
10. 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?

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Top Ten Auto-buy Authors

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.

1. J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings)
2. Charles Dickens (David Copperfield) 
3. Agatha Christie (Murder on the Orient Express)
4. C.S. Lewis (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) 
5. Louisa May Alcott (Little Women)
6. Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)
7. Emmuska Orczy (The Scarlet Pimpernel) 
8. G.A. Henty (In the Reign of Terror)
9. Brian Jacques (Redwall)
10. 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. :)

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Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books From

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.

1. 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. 
2. P.G.Wodehouse- According to Goodreads I've read 43 of his books... that number is probably pretty accurate. 
3. Thornton Burgess- A favorite author growing up. According to Goodreads I've read 38 of his books. 
4. Brian Jacques- According to Goodreads I've read 28 of his books. I'm pretty sure I've read all of his books. 
5. G.A. Henty- According to Goodreads I've read 21 of his books. I think though I've read more. 
6. C.S. Lewis- According to Goodreads I've read 14 of his books.
7. Charles Dickens- According to Goodreads I've read 14 of his books.
8. J.R.R. Tolkien- According to Goodreads I've read 13 of his books. 
9. Arthur Ransome- According to Goodreads I've read 12 of his books. 
10. L.M. Montgomery- According to Goodreads I've read 12 of her books. 

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Top Ten Books I'd Love to see as Movies/TV Shows

Fun topic for Top Ten Tuesday this week!

1. 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?
2. 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. :)
3. 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. 
4. 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.
5. 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. :)
6. The Binding of the Blades series by L.B. Graham- One of my favorite fantasy series. I think it would be great on screen! :)
7. 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! 
8. 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!!!!!
9. 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! 
10. Armadale by Wilkie Collins- I just read this recently and I think it would be fascinating as a movie. :)

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Top Ten Tuesday- Freebie

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!

1. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
2. Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
3. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
4. Eowyn and Faramir from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
5. Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey
6. Mr. Knightley and Emma Wodehouse from Jane Austen's Emma
7. Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park
8. Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen's Persuasion
9. Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferris from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility
10. Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility
11. Molly Gibson and Roger Hamley from Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughers
12. Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and others
13. Arthur Clenham and Amy Dorrit from Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit
14. Mr. Thornton and Margaret Hale from Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South
15. Beatrice and Benedict from William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
16. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
17. 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! 

1. Parker and Hardison from the TV show Leverage
2. Amy and Rory from the TV show Doctor. Who
3. The Doctor and River Song from the TV show Doctor. Who
4. Martha and Mickey from the TV show Doctor. Who
5. Nick and Nora from the Thin Man movies
6. Han Solo and Princess Leia from the Star Wars movies
7. G.W. McLintock and Katy McLintock from the movie McLintock
8. Patty and Canoe from the movie That Darn Cat
9. Marjorie Winfield and Bill Sherman from the movies On Moonlight Bay and By the Light of the Silvery Moon.
10. 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! 

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Top Ten Authors I REALLY want to meet!

Fun topic! There are a lot of authors I like that for various reasons I'm not entirely intrigued to meet so this list does not reflect my favorite authors necessarily. :)

1. Jane Austen
2. J.R.R. Tolkien
3. Charles Dickens 
4. P.G. Wodehouse
5. Agatha Christie
6. Brian Jacques- I actually did meet him years ago when I was seven. 
7. Samuel Clemens- AKA Mark Twain
8. Charles Dodgson- AKA Lewis Carroll
9. Harper Lee
10. G.K. Chesterton 

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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! 

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Top Ten Books You Recently Added to Your TBR List

Today's Top Ten Tuesday theme from Broke and Bookish is books I've recently added to my TBR list. I've recently added a ton of books for various reasons so I'm just going to list the ones I'm most excited about. :)

1. Boys of Blur by N.D. Wilson- I've loved all of N.D. Wilson's books so far so when I heard about this one I was instantly intrigued, especially when I read one person's review of it likening it to Beowulf! 
2. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee- I think we're all excited about this one! :)
3. A bunch of a Elizabeth Gaskell novels- I've enjoyed her two novels I've read so far (Wives and Daughters and North and South) so I'm interested to read more. There's one called Lois the Witch!!! Naturally I'm intrigued. ;)
4. Upstairs, Downstairs by John Hawkesworth- I've heard about this from various sources but mostly in relation to a miniseries of it that the BBC did. 
5. A bunch of Anthony Trollope novels- He has a lot of novels! And with the funniest names too! For example: The Macdermots of Ballycloran and Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite. 
6. All the rest of Shakespeare's plays- I had a majority of Shakespeare's list on my TBR list already but a while back I went and added all of them down to the most random ones no one's ever heard of. 
7. Various Tolkien works- Such as Tales from the Perilous Realms, The Unfinished Tales and Bilbo's Last Song. 
8. Amanda Grange's Austen heroes diaries (i.e. Mr. Darcy's Diary, Mr. Knightley's Diary, ect)
9. The last three books in the Giver quartet- Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son
10. El Dorado: Further Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel and others by Emmuska Orczy- I loved re-reading The Scarlet Pimpernel so much and I really need to get around to reading the others in the series! 

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The Epic Reads Tag

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!!!! 

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Chocolate Book Tag

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 Potter series 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. 

So now I'm craving chocolate! ;)

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Blessed with Books

For a crazy circumstance in which I didn't think I was doing anything that incredibly helpful or selfless, I was given a $50 gift card to Barnes&Nobles as a thank you! Well that's like a book lover's dream come true is it not? Funny thing is $50 can go really fast when buying books. Since it was something special, I wanted to get nice books and go with quality over quantity. Here's what I got!

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

What a beautiful edition am I right?

Beowulf translated by J.R.R. Tolkien

I just read Beowulf translated by someone else earlier this year and I loved it but I'm excited to get a translation by one of my favorite authors. 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

I re-read these a couple years ago and was blown away by the absurdities and wit that Carroll created in these two books. 

Two Doctor Who Bookmarks

Because I work my love of Doctor Who into everything. ;) These were just nice little bonuses. :)

Overall I'd say I'm incredibly blessed with books! :)

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