Back to the Future Book Tag

I saw this tag over on Spoonful of Happy Endings and had to steal it. :)

Name a book/movie/show that makes you want to go back in time when you were younger and enjoy it all over again? 

Book- Pride and Prejudice, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Those are all some of my favorites and I would love to go back and experience the wonder of entering those worlds again. 

Movie- LOTR for sure. My siblings and I are rewatching the films right now and that was just something I mentioned the other day. Experiencing the world of LOTR on screen for the first time must have been incredible but I can scarcely remember the first time I watching the movies the first item and I grew up watching them! 

Show- Since I never really watched TV shows growing up I'm not sure. I guess I'll go with Doctor Who. It would be interesting to watch it for the first time again and see if my opinions of characters were different. 

What's your favorite sci-fi and/or fantasy book/show/movie?

Book- Well LOTR again for fantasy. I don't read much science fiction so I'm not sure I feel qualified to speak to that. Maybe Ender's Game? 

Show- I think the only fantasy show I've watched is The Adventures of Merlin, which is excellent. For sci-fi definitely Doctor Who! I also love Stargate: Atlantis.

Movie- LOTR and Star Wars! 

What's a moment in a book that takes place in the past or future that you'd like to revisit?

I would love to sit in on the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird. 

What's a fictional store, cafe, ect. in a book/movie/show that you'd like to visit?

Book- I'd love to visit the shops from Harry Potter. The Leaky Cauldron, The Three Broomsticks and all of those! I also think it would be cool to visit The Prancing Pony from LOTR. 

Movie-The cantina from Star Wars. ;) 

Show- The postoffice from Lark Rise to Candleford. 

Name an automobile or way of a travel in a book/movie/show that you'd like to take for a ride.

Book- A carriage from Jane Austen's books. Classic. :)

Movie- The Millennium Falcon! 

Show- The T.A.R.D.I.S. obviously! 

Favorite Fiction Sicentist

Rodney McKay from Stargate: Atlantis. 

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It's Monday! Four Nights

This last week I did the inconceivable (obviously I don't know what that word means). I worked four twelve hour shifts in a row. Since we only work three shifts a week, normally three is the most we'll work in a row but somehow my schedule ended up with me working a Saturday night (which I don't know how that happened since I never sign up for Saturdays) and then Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Four nights in a row! Needless to say I was basically a zombie at the end of it. I found that keeping a positive attitude is absolutely key to getting through it... though I didn't always achieve that.
I survived though.
Last week I tried to catch up on some of my reviews too. I got two done and they were the hardest for me as they were for non-fiction books, which for some reason I have a harder time writing reviews for. I'm also trying to work through movie reviews as well.
I was also able to go to a library book sale this past weekend and round up twenty-one books for only five bucks. :)
And last but not least I got to see Captain America: Civil War! It was splendiferous! :)

Currently Reading

• The Sovereignty of God by Arthur W. Pink 
• All the King's Men by Arthur Penn Warren
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read) (audiobook)
• The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
• The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge (re-read) 

Finished this Past Week

• Lieutenant Hornblower by C.S. Forester 

Coming Soon

• Total Truth by Nancy Pierce

Reviews Posted this Week

• The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin 
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Caine 

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Movie Review- Chocolat

My mom has always talked about how much she enjoys the movie Chocolat so finally we watched it together and then I realized it was basically a period drama film so I thought hey, I'll review it for the Period Drama Film challenge. Cause why not? ;)

Synopsis from IMDB: Vianne Rocher and her young daughter are drifters who are met with skepticism and resistance when they move to a conservative town in rural France and open a chocolate shop during Lent. As Vianne begins to work her magic and help those around her, the townspeople are soon won-over by her exuberance and her delicious chocolates - except for the mayor, who is determined to shut her down. When a group of river drifters visit the town, Vianne teaches the townspeople something about acceptance, and finds love for herself along the way.

This was a fun and sweet little film. It had it's issues but overall it was delightful.
First off it's about chocolate. Yum! And not just any chocolate. Super delicious decadent looking chocolate that I want to pull from the screen and eat! It's an awful movie to watch when there isn't any chocolate around to eat!

Characters:

Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche)- Vianne is kind of a complicated character. With her daughter she moves from town to town. As the story develops you discover why she does this.... it is a tradition passed on from her mother to spread the love of chocolate with everyone. As the story goes on though she begins to realize how hard it is on her daughter to keep up with the constant moving and constantly having to make new friends. Vianne is also non-catholic.... non-christian altogether, which condemns her to all of the townspeople, especially the mayor.  Now I'm not a catholic so their arguments about lent that end up happening I really could care less who wins them. However, I'm more disappointed in Vianne's atheism that comes out, which develops some themes I wasn't too big a fan of.

Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina)- Another complicated character. Comte de Reynaud is the mayor of the town and very much so rules it with an iron fist, though he does care deeply for it. At the beginning of the story you hear him tell people that this wife is in Rome and has decided to extend her stay there but as the story goes on you realize that while she is in Rome she isn't coming back. This fuels a lot of his anger. 

Josephine Muscat (Lena Olin)- At the beginning Josephine comes off as rather odd. You discover she's somewhat of a kleptomaniac and that her husband is emotionally and pushily abusive to her. With Vianne's support, Josephine leaves her husband and starts a new life. I really loved seeing Josephine's character grow through the film. She becomes a whole new person. 

Roux (Johnny Depp)- Roux is a water gypsy who camps out by the town about halfway through the film. Like Vianne he is considered an outcast by the town. A relationship develops between the two. It was weird to see Johnny Depp in this film not looking weird. I've only ever seen him as Captain Jack in Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Armande Voizin (Judi Dench)- Armande rents the shop to Vianne and soon frequents it as well and you begin to learn about her life. She's estranged from her daughter and therefore her grandson. During the film though Vianne brings her grandson and then eventually her daughter into reconciliation with Armande. 

Music

The music was a lot of fun in this film. Especially the gypsy tunes played.

Costumes

I adored the costumes in this film! Vianne's wardrobe was classic and beautiful. 

Objectionable Content

Vianne's daughter was born out of wedlock and we do not know who the father was. Vianne wear some lower cut clothes. There's two inappropriate scenes, both of which we dimmed the screen for so I'm not sure quite how much they showed. I don't think they showed too much though but still unnecessary.

Overall I enjoyed this film a lot but it definitely had some issues with immorality. The conclusion was somehow not quite satisfying because in the end everyone seemed to abandon their catholic faith. As I said I'm not catholic so some of that was a little ridiculous to me as I don't believe in lent but still the basic morality of Christianity was there and it seemed like it lost. I think maybe more the point of it was that the townspeople, and especially the mayor, needed to loosen up with their legalism. I think they loosened up a little too much though. 

Have you seen Chocolat? What did you think of it? 

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Book Review- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking

For the Mount TBR challenge, the Shelf Love challenge and the Non-Fiction challenge I read Susan Caine's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking.

Synopsis from Goodreads: At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.
Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.
Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert." This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

I first heard about this a few years ago when my uncle recommended it to my parents. I come from a proud lineage of introverts. ;) Well my parents never read it (shame!) but I always kept it in the back of my mind and for this past Broke and Bookish Secret Santa it was one of the books I put on my list and it was what I received. So finally I have now read it.
For non-fiction, I found Quiet to be easy to read. Some of what was in the book I already knew but there was plenty that enlightened me. It was directed a little more toward the business world but I found it also quite applicable to just ordinary life. The author put an impressive amount of research into this book and it showed in how comprehensive it was.
Growing up an introvert, I definitely felt the pressure of the world to be an extrovert. Extroverts succeed. That is something I learned pretty early on in my life and it definitely made me insecure as a kid. It's only recently in my life that I've really come to accept my introversion and to accept it as a strength.
Quiet is a great book for introverts to read but it also would be useful for extroverts to help understand introverts.
Read or not? Read!

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Book Review: The Institutes of the Christian Religion

For the non-fiction reading challenge I read John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. I know I mentioned it before on here but I ended up reading an abridged version. I started out reading an unabridged version but it was just too much so after some debating I went ahead and got an abridged version that my cousin recommended and I loved it. It is edited by Tony Lane and Hilary Osborne.

In this book, Calvin lays out a beautiful overlay of Christianity: A systematic theology. I took extensive notes while reading it. Copying out my favorite parts in a notebook. I actually didn't have too much room left in the notebook when I finished the book. Even in the abridged version there were definitely things that went over my head and sometimes I'd have to re-read a paragraph multiple times to try and get what Calvin was saying. This is a heady book but absolutely worth it if you're passionate about understanding God's Word at a deeper level.

I want to share a few of my favorite quotes with you. I have a whole notebook full, as you know, but don't worry, I won't include all of them. Some of them are kind of long but they are worth the read.

"Thus from the feeling of our own ignorance, vanity, power, infirmity, and-what is more- depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of wisdom, sound virtue, full abidance of every good, and purity of righteousness rests in the Lord alone. To this extent we are prompted by our own ills to contemplate the good things of God; and we cannot seriously aspire to Him before we begin to become displeased with ourselves. The knowledge of ourselves not only arouses us to seek God, but also, as it were, leads us by the hand to find Him." 

"What in us seems perfection itself corresponds ill to the purity of God."

"Man is never significantly touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with Gods's majesty."

"Although our mind cannot apprehend God without rendering some honor to Him, it will not suffice simply to hold that there is one whom all ought to honor and adore, unless we are also persuaded that He is the foundation of every good, and that we must seek nothing elsewhere than in Him. This I take to mean that not only does He sustain this universe by His boundless might, regulate it by His wisdom, preserve it by His goodness and especially rule making by His righteousness and judgment, bear with in His mercy, watch over it by His protection; but also that no drop will be found either of wisdom and light or of righteousness or power or recited or of genuine truth, which does not flow from Him and of which He is not the cause." 

"They do not therefore apprehend God as He offers himself, but imagine Him as they have fashioned Him in their own presupposition. They think that any zeal for religion, however preposterous is sufficient. They do not realize that true religion ought to be conformed to God's will as to a universal rule; that God ever remains like Himself and is not a specter or phantasm to be transformed according to anybody's whim. They are not so restrained by that pretend fear of God from wallowing blithely in their own sins and flattering themselves and preferring to indulge their fleshly intemperance rather than restrain it by the bridle of the Holy Spirit. For where they ought to have remained consistently obedient throughout life, they boldly rebel against Him in almost all their deeds, and are zealous to placate Him merely with a few platy sacrifices. Where they ought to serve Him in sanity of life and integrity of heart, they trump up frivolous trifles and worthless little observances with which to win His favor. With greater license they sluggishly lie in their own filth because they are confident that they can preform their duty toward Him by ridiculous acts of expiation. Then while their trust ought to have been placed in Him, they neglect Him and rely upon themselves."  

"We ought not to rack our brains about God; but rather, we should contemplate Him in His works. We are called to a knowledge of God; not that knowledge which, content with empty speculation, merely flits in the brain, but that which will be sound and fruitful if we duly perceive it, and if it takes root in the heart." 

"Scripture has its authority from God, not from the church. While the church receives and gives its seals of approval to the scriptures, it does not thereby render authentic what is otherwise doubtful or controversial. We should not acquiesce in mere opinion, but should rely on sure and firm truth. As God alone is a fit witness of Himself in His Word, so also the Word will not find acceptance in men's hearts before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the spirit." 

"The Holy Spirit is recognized in His agreement with scripture."

"The scripture invites us first to fear God and then to trust Him."

 "Surely God's infinity ought to make us afraid to try to measure Him by our own senses. Indeed, His spiritual nature forbids our imagining anything earthly or carnal of Him." 

"Let us not take it in our hearts either to seek out God anywhere else than in His sacred Word, or to think anything about Him that is not prompted by His Word, or to speak anything that is not taken from that Word."

"The depravity and malice both of man and of the devil, or that sins that arise therefrom do not spring from nature, but rather from the corruption of nature."  

"We ought to hold to one rule of modesty and sobriety: not to speak or guess, or even to seek to know, concerning obscure matters anything except what has been imparted to us by Gods' word. Furthermore, in the reading of scripture we ought ceaselessly to endeavor to seek out and meditate upon those things which make for edification. Let us not indulge in curiosity or in the investigation of unprofitable things. Because the Lord walled to instructs us, not in fruitless questions, but in sound godliness, in the far of His name in true trust and in the duty of holiness, let us be satisfied with this knowledge." 

"The theologians task is not to divert the ears with chatter, but to strengthen consciences by teaching things true, sure and profitable." 

"Recognize that God has destined all things for our good and salvation but at the same time feel His power and grace in ourselves and in the great benefits He has conferred upon us and so to bestir ourselves to trust, invoke, praise and love Him."

"No necessity was imposed upon God of giving man other than a mediocre and even transitory will, that from mans' fall He might gather occasion for His own glory."

"There is a great difference between what is fitting for a man to will and what is fitting for God, and to what end the will of each is directed, so that it be either approved or disapproved. For through the bad wills of evil men God fulfills what He righteously wills."

 "There is a general belief in the mistaken idea that man has everything he needs for a good and happy life. Teaching man to rely on himself can be no more that sweet seduction, because everyone who is deluded by it will be ruined. We are merely persisting in rushing headlong to destructing when we trust in our own ability. If we listen to teachers who get us to dwell on our good qualities, then far from making progress in self-knowledge, we will be sunk in the most disastrous ignorance. The person who assesses himself by the standard of divine justice finds no grounds for confidence and so, the more thorough his self examination, the greater his despair." 

"In considering man's self-knowledge, it seems right to think about it like this. First, he should think about the purpose for which he was made ,and the splendid qualities he was given, to spur him on to meditate on worship of God and the future life. Second he should consider the faculties he has not go, so that when he is aware of this, all his confidence will evaporate and he will be ashamed. The effect of the first is to teach a person what his duty is, and of the second to make him realize how far he can fulfill it." 

"When the will is ensnared by sin, it cannot start to be good, let alone maintain good ways."

"Everything good in the will is entirely the result of grace. All the good qualities which believes possess are due to God."

"It is only our weakness and depravity that prevent us from enjoying the happiness which the law offers. So divine grace is made even sweeter, God's march even lovier because it proclaims that He is never weary of doing good and showering us with His gifts." 

 "We must never measure God's glory by our ability. Whatever he may be He remains the same, the friend of righteousness and the enemy of unrighteousness."

"We assess our powers and see that they are not only inadequate for fulfilling the law, but good for nothing."

 "There is not a syllable in the law which gives a ruling as to what a man must do or not do for the advantage of his own carnal nature." 

"The gospel has not succeeded the law in such a way as to usher in a different plan of salvation. On the contrary, it confirms the law and proves that everything it promised is fulfilled."  

"Those who rob Christ of divinity or humanity either detract from His glory or obscure His goodness."  

"It is important for us to remember that He has taken our place, so that we may not spend all our lives in trepidation and anxiety, as if the punishment we deserve, but which the Son of God took to Himself, was still hanging over us." 

"As he became victories over death by rising again, so the victory of our faith is because of His resurrection. By His death sin was taken away and by His resurrection righteousness was restored." 

"Take away the Word and there will be no faith. Faith includes not merely the knowledge that God exists, but especially a realization of his will toward us. We need to know not only what He is in Himself, but also the character He choses to reveal to us. Faith is the knowledge of the divine will toward us, discard from His word. Its prerequisite is a conviction of the turret of God. It is not enough to believe that God is true and cannot lie or deceive, unless you feel firmly convinced that every word proceeds from Him is sacred, absolute truth."

"Faith is a firm and sure knowledge of God's favor toward us, based on the turret of a free promise in Christ, revelaed to our minds and sealed on our hearts by the Holy Spirit." 

"Repentance not only follows faith but is produced by it."

"A man cannot honesty know about repentance unless he knows he belongs to God. But no one is really convinced He is of God until He has accepted His offer of love. No one will ever honor God if he does not believe that God forgives him. No one will every willingly obey the law, if he is not convinced that his efforts are pleasing to God." 

"Repentance is a true conversion of our life to God, spraining from real and stolen fear of God; it consists also in putting to death our flesh and the quickening of the Spirit."

"Sin no longer reigns, but it still remains."

"Doctrine is not a matter of talk but of life."

 "By service, I do not mean simply verbal obedience, but the state of mind which, stripped of carnal desires, implicitly obeys the call of God's spirit." 

"The Chrsitian ought to be disciplined to think that throughout his life he is dealign with God." 

"It is possible to carry out every good deed, as far as the external act goes, but to do it in the wrong way."

"Everyone should think that he owes himself to his neighbors, and that the only limit to his generosity is the end of his resources."

"Unless you understand first of all what your position is before God, and the judgement He has to pass on you, you have no foundation on which salvation can be built or on which true godliness can flourish."

"The distinction between the law and the gospel is obvious: The former gives justification to works whereas the latter bestows it freely without any help from works."   

 "We must meditate on God as He is portrayed in scripture, not in our puny little minds." 

"We may think ourselves superior to, or equal with, other men, but this means nothing to God and it is His judgment alone which counts." 

"The object of righteousness is the service of God: nothing else will do. The ungodly may preform acts that seem good but their motives are evil because they are not seeking to see God. So their beds are sinful."

"Since perfection is altogether unattainable as long as we are in the flesh, the law pronounces death and judgment on all who have not attained perfect righteousness, there will always be good reason to accuse and convict us unless God intervenes in His mercy." 

"We are justified not without, and yet not by, works."

"If they try to measure it (salvation) by their good works they will wallow in uncertainty."

"Anyone who imagines that he can obtain justification by works in any way has an endless task, because he is a debtor to the whole law."

"If we know God as the sovereign giver of all good, who invites us to pass on our requests, and yet we don't bother to come to Him; it won't help one bit."  

 "We should only ask what God allows." 

"God's decision about het elect is based on His free mercy with no reference to human deserving. Equally, those whom He dooms to destruction are shut off from eternal life by His perfect, but incomprehensible judgment."  

"Doctrinal matters are not all of equal importance. Some are essential to truth faith and there are other matters, which can be controversial, but do not destroy the unity of faith. Matters non-essential should not be the basis of arguments among Chrsitains. Of course it is good to have complete agreement, but as no one has perfect knowledge, we must either have no church at all or forgive errors in things which do not destroy the basis of salvation. I'm not condoning error, however trivial, nor trying to encourage it."

"Of course we do not excuse shallow Chrsitian living: it is far too common and the Lord has to correct it, especially if weaker consciences are offended. But it is also a sin to be unloving and unnecessarily severe." 

"Forgiveness of sins is not only the basis on which we first enter the church; it is also the basis upon which the Lord keeps us there. There would not be much point in receiving a pardon which has no further value. God's mercy would be futile and false if it was only I given once." 

I could not more highly recommend this book. Even if you are not reformed in theology I think you find in it a wealth of wisdom.

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It's Monday! As Time Goes By

I got busy last week and an "It's Monday" post did not make it up on the blog so this post will cover two weeks. Sorry guys! I'm also really behind on reviews right now but finding I'm just really not in the mood currently so I'm stepping back and leaving them until I am. If I'm forcing myself to blog then I'm not going to enjoy it. Hopefully though I'll soon feel like it because I don't want to get too behind.

Currently Reading

• The Sovereignty of God by Arthur W. Pink 
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read) (audiobook)
• The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens 

Finished in the past couple weeks

• Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
• Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (re-read)
• Lady Susan by Jane Austen (re-read)- I wasn't planning on re-reading it this year but then I found out a film adaptation (Love and Friendship) was coming out so I wanted to refresh my memory on it. It's a fun quick little read and free on the Kindle app. 
• Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester 
• A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (audiobook)

Coming Soon

• Total Truth by Nancy Pierce 
• All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren 

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Bout of Books- May 2016

My favorite read-a-thon is here!

Here's the rundown on what Bout of Books is all about.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 9th and runs through Sunday, May 15th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 16 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I'm hoping to get a few books read during the read-a-thon, though I don't know which ones yet. What I'm currently reading and what I'm wanted to read next always seems to be changing so who knows where I'll be when May 9th comes!

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Book Review- Mr. Midshipman Hornblower

For the Mount TBR pile challenge, the 12 Month Classics Challenge and the Classics Club I read C.S. Forester's novel Mr. Midshipman Hornblower.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Here we meet Horatio Hornblower, a young man of 17, in this Volume #1 of what becomes the 11 volume set about the career of this British Naval officer fighting against Napoleon and his tyranny of Europe as an inexperienced midshipman in January 1794. Bullied and forced into a duel, he takes an even chance. And then he has many more chances to show his skills and ingenuities - from sailing a ship full of wetted and swelling rice to imprisonment and saving the lives of shipwrecked sailors. And along the way, he fights galleys, feeds cattle, stays out of the way of the guillotine, and makes friends with a Duchess. Here Hornblower becomes a man and develops the strength of character which will make him a hero to his men, and to all England.

I watched the Horatio Hornblower TV series several years ago and really enjoyed it and finally now I'm getting around to reading the books. So far I've just read this first one but I hope to read the rest eventually.
While reading it I really related to Hornblower. His first experiences running a ship and then feeling like he failed felt like my first experiences as a nurse. Eventually we both gained confidence and skills necessary to survive our unfamiliar environments and they became familiar to us.
I was surprised at how fast paced the book was. Many "classic adventure novels" I've read haven't been as fast paced as I wanted them to be but this one pleasantly surprised me. The nautical terms didn't bog me down, though, through my previous reading, I have become familiar with some of them. There was also a historical aspect, which I always enjoy.
Overall I enjoyed it and I will probably hand it to my brothers in the future.

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Infinity Dreams Tag

Erudessa at The Flowering Vales tagged me in the Infinity Dreams Tag. Thank you Erudessa! If you don't read her blog remedy that now! Like me, she is a Tolkien lover. :)

Rules

1. Thank the blogger who tagged you.
2. Tell us 11 facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions given to you.
4. Tag 11 bloggers and give them 11 new questions to answer.

Random Facts
1. I have about twenty boxes of tea and I'm always randomly buying more but actually rarely drink it, not because I don't love it but I just get too lazy to take the time to brew a cup of tea.
2. The scrubs I wear for work are green.... not by my choice obviously. It's the standard color for everyone's scrubs. :(
3. I have an obsession with buying pretty notebooks that I always start to fill (aka I write on two pages) but never finish.
4. I love buying bows to put in my hair. Hair bows are not just for little girls!
5. I dream of naming my children after Tolkien characters. Actually, not just Tolkien characters but other random names from Tolkien. For example my new favorites are Shire Elizabeth and Dúnedain James. Pray my future husband has more discretion with naming children than I do. ;)
6. If I have music to listen to I can be motivated to do just about anything... even clean my room.
7. I've found that randomly quoting movies and books is always appropriate. Especially if no one knows what you're talking about.
8. The other day I bought a lot of yarn from a store that was closing so all of the year was on clearance. I didn't need the yarn but that didn't stop me from buying it. It was on sale guys!
9. I talk to myself a lot. Don't judge! Sometimes it's the only intelligent conversation I have all day! ;)
10. I have a dark sense of humor.... it comes with the nursing profession.
11. I am horribly allergic to poison ivy. :(

Questions
1. What is your earliest memory of reading, or being read to? I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't read. My first real memory of reading only because it was such a big endeavor was reading LOTR at about six years old.
2. Why did you choose to start a blog? I wanted to be a writer.
3. Since this is the Infinity Dreams Tag, what is your biggest dream, no matter how out there it may seem? To be a wife and mother.
4. Favorite subject in school? (If you in school still. If not, what WAS your favorite subject?) Literature.... which eventually stopped counting as a school subject as that was all I did. ;) History after that though.
5. Where would you live in the world, if you could live anywhere? When it comes down to it probably America but I wouldn't mind living in England, Scotland or Ireland for at least a little while.
6. How would you describe your personal style? Classic.
7. Who has inspired you? It can be anyone, past, present, fictional, or no. Lady Jane Grey
8. Do you prefer open plains, and sparkling beaches, or rugged mountains and wild forests? Rugged mountains and wild forests! Country girl here. :)
9. If you could meet one celebrity, who would you choose? I'm not a fan of really any celebrity.
10. Favorite Disney princess? (Or Disney character if you don't prefer princesses.) Belle!
11. Favorite quote? Last time I was asked for a favorite quote on the blog I used a Jane Austen quote. This time I'll use a Tolkien one from Fellowship of the Ring.

“Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

Thank you Erudessa! That was fun! :)

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Book Review- The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

For the non-fiction reading challenge and the Mount TBR pile reading challenge I'll be reviewing Rosaria Champagne Butterfield's book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department’s curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down—the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a “train wreck” at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could.

I've been meaning to read this book for a couple years now and thankfully I've finally gotten around to it. I've got to say first off this is one of the best books I have ever read. It surprised me by not being just about homosexuality but also about marriage, adoption and what it is like to be a Christian. It's one of those books I think every Christian should read but definitely one that I wouldn't just hand to my teenager.  It's mature but not unnecessarily so. It's very real. After reading it you feel like you know Rosaria. She lays out her life, the ups and downs the struggles she went through. Struggles I think anyone can relate to. That's what makes this book so amazing. You may not be a recovering lesbian but you can relate to the struggles Rosaria goes through and learn. Sin is sin.

There's so much to say about this book but really the bottom line is to read it. I'll just close with a few of my favorite quotes.

"I think that too many young Christians fornicators plan that marriage will redeem their sin. Too many young Christians masturbators will redeem their patterns. Too many young Christian internet pornographers think that having legitimate sex will take away the desire to have illicit sex. They're wrong. And the marriages that result from this line of thinking are dangerous places. I know, I told my audience why over 50% of Christian marriages end in divorce; because Christians act as though marriage redeems sin. Marriage does not redeem sin. Only Jesus himself can do that." 

"How do we put Christ at the center? By intentionally holding all things captive to Christ, each moment of each day. By never daring to do anteing without fervent prayer, seeking the Lord's wisdom, counsel, blessing and life-sustaining breath. I learned during those years that the idea that one is ever too busy to pray is delusion of the most dangerous variety." 

"Rahab the Harlot, Mary Magdalene. We love those women between the pages of our Bible, but we don't want to sit at the Lord's Table with them-with people like me-drinking from the a common cup. That's the real ringer: the common cup- that is, our common origin in depravity. We are only righteous in Christ and in Him alone. But that's a hard pill to swallow, especially if you give yourself kudos for good choices." 

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