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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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books that Will Make You Laugh

The theme for this week's Top Ten Tuesday is ten books that will make you laugh. I love to laugh so this should be a piece of cake. ;)

These are in no particular order.

1. The Martian by Andy Weir
2. Leave it to Psmith or The Golf Omnibus by P.G. Wodehouse- Really any book by Wodehouse is guaranteed laughs. 
3. Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen- Most all of Austen's novels will make me laugh at some point but especially those two. 
4. The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
5. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
6. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson 
7. The Best Things in Life: A Contemporary Socrates Looks at Power, Pleasure, Truth and the Good Life by Peter Kreeft
8. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain 
9. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll 
10. The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde 
11. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
12. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson 

I did some serious cutting down of this list to try and make it ten (it used to be about twenty) but I simply couldn't cut it down anymore. These are the books that just about guarantee me a laugh every time I read them. 

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It's Monday! Relaxing

This week was a little bit of a step back to relax. Work wasn't too crazy, I have my taxes done (so I can stop worrying about those) and I've been able to relax and read. Now my main focus is how many books I can buy with my tax return. ;)

Finished this Past Week

• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin- I'm finally done! This one is so good and it's a definite must read for any Christian. 
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking- Some things I already knew but still it was a fascinating book about introverts and beneficial to read. 
• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read) (audiobook)- Amazing as always. :) 

Currently Reading

• Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester 
• A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (audiobook)
• The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens 

Coming Soon

• Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot
• Total Truth by Nancy Pierce 
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read) (audiobook)

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Book Review- Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House Series

For the Hard Core Re-Reading Challenge I re-rad Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series.
It's very hard to review a series I've read and re-read so many times but here are a few thoughts on my love for this adorable series.

Little House in the Big Woods

The nostalgia that came with re-reading this was incredible! I love their little house, Charlotte, pa's stories, butchering the pig, making syrup, pa's fiddle playing, just everything! It's such a cozy book that makes me feel good inside. My favorite scene, for reasons I just don't know why, is Mary and Laura sitting in the attic surrounded by the vegetables, sitting on pumpkin, playing with their dolls.

Little House on the Prairie

This one takes place in Kansas so bonus there. ;) It's cool to see pa building the house. How him and ma work together is so beautiful. I love their marriage. They're different but they learn to work together and compromise. It makes me so sad that they have to leave the house because they were just slightly off with the boundaries.

Farmer Boy 

This was never one of my favorites and I actually almost considered skipping it with this re-read. However, I didn't and I'm glad of that. It was really enjoyable and it reminded me a lot of Ralph Moody's Little Britches series that I re-read last year except those are grittier and more realistic. I feel like the Wilders have it pretty well but they do work hard for it. It's amazing how diligently the whole family works. There's no excuse making. They work because they know they have to. And the food in this one! Yum! Don't read it when you're already hungry. Just saying.

On the Banks of Plum Creek

This always made me want to live in a dugout... that and there was a dugout down the road from our house. It sounds so cool! This is maybe my least favorite of the series but I still like it a lot. It's just rather depressing how hard they work and still fail. I'm surprised they stayed there so long. This one also spans a lot of years, which I never quite realized before.

By the Shores of Silver Lake

I feel in this one that Laura is really starting to grow up. They finally settle down for good. I love the people that they are surrounded by. The Boasts are the best! Also we get our first mention of Almanzo! 

The Long Winter

In this one I feel like we get to know Carrie a lot more. You really see Laura and Carrie's friendship blossom. It makes me think of my little sister and I. I told her that and she said she didn't mind as she liked Carrie. So I get to be Laura. ;) Anyways.... focus! You really get to see Almanzo shine in this one and start to fall in love with him already. Cap is awesome too though and their willingness to go out and get the wheat is just so perfect! Real men get wheat! That should be a T-shirt! ;)

Little Town on the Prairie

So yeah... Almanzo and Laura start courting in this one. :) Not that Laura really realizes it! Get with it Laura! ;) You see a lot of how hard Laura is working in her school too and her dedication to her studies and to her sister Mary. It's really inspiring how hard she works because she wants to teach so she can earn money to send her sister to school. I also love all of the things the town gets together. It's so much fun and the relationships built there are great. I feel like you get to know the people in DeSmet better than any most of the other people Laura writes about. Maybe because she was older than and she remembered them better and she lived with them longer as well. I've always loved Mary Powers, Ida and all of the others. Nellie aggravates me and sorry Eliza Jane, you were okay as a kid but you're really annoying as an adult! 

These Happy Golden Years

This is my favorite of the series and always has been. Almanzo and Laura are so stinking cute! I forgot how resistant Laura was to the whole idea of courting Almanzo at first. Thank goodness she comes around! When I read it this time though I realized how much the horses were a factor in their relationship. ;) Reading it, I feel like Laura just kind of drifted into falling in love with him. She was in the middle of it before she knew she had began. And Almanzo! He's adorable how persistent he is and how sweet and kind he is. Even when Laura tells him he's not interested he still drives to get her every week! Ah! I just love those two and I love this book! :)

Overall I just couldn't recommend this series more. It's beautifully cozy and lovely. They're perfect to read aloud as well. They're the kind of books that will endure for many more years to come. 

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Top Ten Books Every Christian Should Read

The theme for this week's Top Ten Tuesday is Top Ten Books Every X Should Read. I decided to replace that X with Christian.

So these are my top ten books every Christian should read. These are in no particular order and taking the Bible for granted here goes.

1. The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin- No I haven't quite finished it yet but I will stand by it and say it is one of the most comprehensive and well written books about Christianity available. The actual original version is two huge volumes each the size of LOTR so I would recommend reading an abridged version. I started reading the huge volumes and changed my mind eventually and switched to an abridged version, which was a good decision in my mind though I don't normally recommend abridged books. 
2. The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer- I read this three or so years ago. It is a really excellent book and I loved how straightforward Tozer was in it. He says it like it is, pushing you on in the pursuit of God. Beautifully written. 
3. Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul- A book that made a huge impact in my life at the time. R.C. Sproul is excellent about explaining complicated theology succinctly and this book was no exception. 
4. The Valley of Vision by various Puritans- I read this last year and it is the most beautiful book of prayers. Each one challenged me in my faith and pushed me to ponder God's Word and to worship Him. This is an absolute must read! 
5. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield- I just finished it last week but I know that I will re-read it over and over again in the future. It's about homosexuality, yes, but it's also about so much more: marriage, adoption, and what it means to be a Christian. This was a book that really challenged me to think about my faith, what it means to me and how I can grow in it. 
6. The Westminster Confession of Faith- Sort of like Calvin's Institutes in how comprehensive it is and actually I think maybe more comprehensive. I think I preferred the Institutes though. 
7. Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges- A book about trusting God simply put. One of the best theological books I've read and very meaningful to me as trusting God is definitely something that I've had to struggle with when I my uncle passed away to cancer, or when my Grandma had her stroke or when both of my Grandpas passed away. Trusting God is crucial to a Christina's walk. If you can't trust God... who can you trust? 
8. Christian Love by Hugh Binning- A little book recommend to me by my brother that overturned what I thought about love and how I should be carrying it out. It may have been written by a Puritan hundreds of years ago but it is absolutely relevant in this present day. 
9. What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality by Kevin DeYoung- I read this one this year as well and loved it. It's concise and full of Biblical wisdom. In this present day I think it is so important that Christians can answer this question and this book does a great job. 
10. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis- When I read this several years ago it scared me. The realness scared me. At that point in my life Satan started to scare me and I realized the realness of sin and the constant temptation we are under and that every day, every moment Satan is trying to pry us away from God. This book made me want to cling closer to God but it also made me more aware of the temptations that I face every day. 

There are so many theology books I want to read in the future... My list just for the ones I want to get to this year is already long. I'm sure this list will change in the future as I read more books but for now these are the top ten books I think are must reads for Christians. 

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It's Monday! Sleepless

Just when I thought I was getting used to the night shift and being able to get my sleep in this week messed with my sleep majorly. I had two sleepless nights that weren't meant to be sleepless (aka I wasn't working them) and then three straight nights of work. It was rough. Hopefully this next week won't be quite so messed up.
Sleepless nights did leave me lots of time for reading though so that wasn't all bad.

This made me laugh. I honestly was trying to get to sleep though! 

Finished this Past Week

• The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield- An absolutely amazing book. Hopefully I'll have a review out soon. All I'll say for now is that it is one of the best books I've ever read. 
• Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (re-read)
• These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (re-read)- Oh my goodness I will never get tired of Almanzo and Laura's adorable courtship. I have probably re-read this one the most of the series. 

Currently Reading

• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
• The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (abridged) 
• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read) (audiobook)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (audiobook)
• The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

Coming Soon

I want to read some more non-fiction soon but I would like to finish up Calvin's Institues (almost done!) before starting another hefty theology book so for now I'm going to try some lighter ones.

• Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forster
• Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot  

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2016 Period Drama Film Challenge March Tag Questions

It's time for the March tag questions for the 2016 Period Drama Film Challenge! 

1. What period dramas did you view in March?

Lark Rise to Candleford (I finished it up in March but I've been watching it for a couple months), Rebecca (1979), The Age of Innocence (1993), Chocolat and Brooklyn. The last two I don't have reviews up for yet.

2. What is your favorite period drama soundtrack? 

Right now Far From the Madding Crowd (2015). I listen to it on repeat all of the time! It's so gorgeous!

3. If you could attend a ball in a Jane Austen story what would be the color of your ballgown and who would you dance with? 

Blue I think. Or maybe teal? I'd obviously dance with Henry Tilney.

4. Do you prefer watching period dramas by yourself or with friends/family? Why? 

I like watching them with my little sister a lot because that is what we do the most but if I can watch them with the whole family even better. The commentary is always hilarious (though granted I provide most of the commentary).

5. What period dramas are you looking forward to viewing in April 2016? 

This is basically a recycle of last month's list but omitting the ones I watched in March. 

• Testament of Youth
• Death Comes to Pemberly
• Little Women (1994)
• Gods and Generals and Gettysburg 
• Lorna Doone (2000)
• Cranford and Return to Cranford 
• Cinderella (2015) 
• The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby  (1982)

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