Book Review- Don Quixote

It only took me a year and a half but I have finally finished Miguel Cervantes's novel Don Quixote! I was reading it for the Classics Club but it's also one of my husband's favorite books. Currently I'm questioning his judgement.

Before I get started on my review, here's a synopsis from Goodreads.

Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading chivalric romances that he determines to become a knight-errant himself. In the company of his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, his exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While Quixote's fancy often leads him astray—he tilts at windmills, imagining them to be giants—Sancho acquires cunning and a certain sagacity. Sane madman and wise fool, they roam the world together, and together they have haunted readers' imaginations for nearly four hundred years.

Now don't get me wrong... it's not a bad book. It's really quite intriguing and oftentimes humorous. It's just simply too long! It needed some editing. Several of Don Quixote's and Sancho Paz's adventures were madcap hilarity but then several were also just meh and made the story drag. There are actually two parts to the story. The two parts are published together now but they were actually originally published ten years apart. I think I preferred the second part overall... the writing was tighter.
While Don Quixote is the titular character I found Sancho Pax the most interesting. He continually baffled me as he blindly follow Don Quixote and even as especially in the second part when Sancho Paz begins to question Don Quixote's sanity. Throughout the book you question Sancho's own sanity and wait for him to come to his senses to no avail. He is the one that kept me continually intrigued throughout the book.
My thoughts are rambling on this book. It took me so long to read that I have trouble remembering some of the beginning. I actually started it, stopped for a couple months and then restarted it in a different translation. My husband and I both owned copies and while mine is a beautiful old edition the translation was just harder to read. My husband's translation was more modern and easier to read and made the overall experience more enjoyable. If you're interested in which translation it was the one done by Edith Grossman and I'd recommend it if you're interested in reading it.
I do understand why it is considered a masterpiece and I liked it but I just didn't love it.

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New Year, New Bout of Books, New Post

I know I barely post anymore but I do love to keep up with the blogging world and I try to keep up with y'all's posts.
I'm trying to keep up with my reading also, which has also fallen horribly behind. I got 21 books read for 2019! I'm proud of myself for at least getting those done but I also look back at a few years ago when I could read a 100 books a year easily. Times have changed though. My goal for this year is 20 books. With another little Hobbit on the way I think that's a reasonable goal.
I've been recently inspired by the Literary Life group on Facebook and the Literary Life podcast. It's my new book nerd place. It's definitely classics focused but it has a bit of everything and is tons of fun. I can pretend I read more books when I read the posts and listen to the podcasts about books. 😂

There's a new Bout of Books starting today also so I'm going to jump on that and hopefully use it to inspire me to get some more reading in this year.
Currently I'm trying to finish up books I started last year that have been taking me forever before I start any new ones. I'm getting close to being done with Don Quixote and then I'll work on finishing up Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. After that there's a world of possibilities!

I was inspired by the Literary Life group's 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge but I knew there were some categories that would stretch me further then I really could expect of myself this year so I took some of their categories, some of my local library's reading challenge categories and some of the Popsugar reading challenge categories and put together my own challenge for myself. It will still challenge me a bit this year but hopefully still be realistic.

What is up with y'all's reading life? Hopefully you're doing better than me.

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Back to the Classics 2018 Wrap Up Post

I actually got the Back to the Classics challenge done this year! Last year I just missed it so I was excited to complete the challenge this year. I'm also really looking forward to completing it next year!   Be sure to check out the 2019 challenge over at Books and Chocolate HERE.
But back to 2018!
Here's what I was able to complete this year!
1. A 19th century classic - The Way we Live Now by Anthony Trollope
2. A 20th century classic - The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
3. A classic by a woman author- The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot
4. A classic in translation- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
5. A classic with a color in the title- The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
6. A classic by an author that's new to you- The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
7. Re-read a favorite classic- Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
I'm halfway through Kim which would have counted towards the one word title category but I ran out of time to complete it. Oh well! I did get seven books read in which counted towards one entry in the prize drawing.  It was a fun year of reading and I really enjoyed the books I did get read. War and Peace was obviously my biggest challenge and I actually really enjoyed it. Just So Stories was the easiest and shortest and it was nice to enjoy it again. Overall I loved all of the books I read and was pleasantly surprised by many of them.

I can't wait for a new year of experiencing the classics!
P.S. I can be contacted via my Goodreads account.

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Book Review- Just So Stories

For the Back to the Classics Challenge I re-read Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Kipling's own drawings, with their long, funny captions, illustrate his hilarious explanations of How the Camel Got His Hump, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, How the Armadillo Happened, and other animal How's. He began inventing these stories in his American wife's hometown of Brattleboro, Vermont, to amuse his eldest daughter--and they have served ever since as a source of laughter for children everywhere.

I read this one for book club but I was so excited to read it as I hadn't read it since I was a kid and the version I read was a kid's version so I was excited to get the "real" version. Just So Stories is full of fun little stories about how different animals got their different characteristics... for example how the elephant got its trunk, which was one of my favorite stories. It also had a story about how the written language came about. The stories are fun and witty. The pictures are great and their captions are even better! It was great to revisit this collection of short stories. It had been a long time since I'd read any Kipling (since Jungle Book year and years ago) but it's prompted me to start Kim, which I'm enjoying so far. I look forward to reading more of his books.

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20 Books of Summer 2018

I participated in the 20 Books of Summer challenge back in 2015 and somehow have missed participating in it again up until now! It's hosted by 746 Books and is just a fun way to set a goal of reading 20 books for the summer.
So here's my list of 20 books I'd like to complete this summer. Most of these are from my Classics Club list that I need to finish up but there's also some other books mixed in there so I don't get bored. Not that classics are boring but I just need some variety.

1. Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare
2. Richard III by William Shakespeare 
3. Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson 
4. Moby Dick by Herman Melville 
5. The 39 Steps by John Buchan 
6. The Mystery of Edwin Drood
7. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
8. The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. Cyarno de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
10. East of Eden by John Steinbeck 
11. Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes 
12. Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
13. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
14. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
15. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
16. Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer WOrth
17. Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth
18. The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum 
19. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
20. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs  

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Book Reviews- The Lunar Chronicles

I know this review is a long time coming considering I read these last year but finally here's my review of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The Lunar Chronicles are composed of four books; Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter. They are sci-fi retellings of classic fairytales including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves respectively.

I wasn't sure about these book when I first heard about them but when I finally got over my skepticism and decided to pick them up I was hooked! Sci-Fi retellings of fairytales sounds really out there and like a recipe for crappy books but Marissa Meyers really made it work! They were fun, clever and engaging. I really enjoyed all of the books for the most part, which is a lot to ask of a series sometimes. I was amazed at how well Marissa Meyers wove the stories together integrating the original stories with the future seamlessly.
I wasn't as big of a fan of the book Scarlet but that was because I just wasn't as a big fan of the character or her love interest. Overall, the parts I normally didn't like in the books were when they got too romantic. Give me some action and cut the kissing! ;)
My favorite character was obviously Captain Carswell Thorne. Can we just say Flynn Ryder? And who doesn't love Flynn Ryder? Can we just say Han Solo? And who doesn't love Han Solo? So yeah.... enough said. Girls can't help but love the rogue with a hidden heart of gold. I really like Cress too... so yeah... serendipitous that... SPOILERS!!!! ;)
If you like sci-fi, a little romance (or a lot at times), fairy tales and some humor then these are the books for you!
P.S. Marissa Meyer also wrote some in-between books that I've not read yet so I cannot comment on those yet though they do look intriguing!

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Book Review- The Eyre Affair

Finally! I've been recommended this book for years now and I was so excited to get it in the secret santa. It was the first book I picked up this year because I couldn't wait to read it.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Welcome to a surreal version of Great Britain, circa 1985, where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, veryseriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem, militant Baconians heckle performances of Hamlet, and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection, until someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature. When Jane Eyre is plucked from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday must track down the villain and enter the novel herself to avert a heinous act of literary homicide.

As a book lover, and more specifically a classics lover, I couldn't help but be fascinated by this book. It's a book nerd's dream. As a time travel aficionado this book was also a success.
Thursday Next made a fun protagonist and Acheron Hades a chilling villain. The other characters popping up in the book, like her dad and her uncle I also really enjoyed. The plot and writing was quite clever, though I feel like it sometimes tried to be too clever. The side plot of who wrote Shakespeare was intriguing and it's (semi) conclusion was surprising. I wonder if it gets continued in the next book in the series as I don't feel like we have a proper conclusion for that yet?

Overall I enjoyed it but I did have some qualms. There was some (not a copious amount but it was there) language in it that I didn't appreciate and frankly wasn't necessary. I also really wish that we could have seen more of Thursday's and Landen's relationship because I almost wanted her to get with Braxton instead because I felt like we knew him better. And yes, I get that the whole relationship thing is supposed to be mirroring Jane Eyre and that Braxton is St. John Rivers. However that actually annoyed me as I liked Braxton and I didn't want that analogy drawn because I thought it was unfair to him as he is far better than St. John Rivers.

Overall I'd recommend it. Next time I read it I'll definitely be going through it with whiteout though.

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Book Review: Dracula

For the audiobook challenge and the Classics Club I read (listened to) Bram Stoker's classic horror novel Dracula.

Goodreads Synopsis: When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries about his client and his castle. Soon afterwards, a number of disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman’s neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the imminent arrival of his ‘Master’. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count Dracula and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing deeply into questions of human identity and sanity, and illuminating dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.

Going into this book I really had no idea what it would entail. Like most people I knew a little about Dracula the character but I soon found out I had no clue about the book. What took me the most off guard with it was that it all started out with Count Dracula wanting to buy.... a house! It sounded boring at first. It escalated quickly though. As the book goes on it becomes more and more disturbing and fascinating.
I really loved the characters in this story. Mina Harker was definitely my favorite but I also loved Dr. Van Helsing. All of the gentlemen that band together to eradicate Count Dracula are amazing actually.
Count Dracula is amply chilling and there were times in the book where I thought to myself "how are they possibly going to defeat him?" It's interesting to see how the character's perception of Count Dracula changes as the story goes on especially at the end when Mina's life is in the balance and they have to realize that Mina could become what they are fighting. It was sad and terrifying.
Overall I was impressed by this book and while I felt at the end it dragged a bit I really enjoyed it. Read or not? Read!

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Book Review- Waverly

For the Mount TBR pile challenge and the Classics Club I read Sir Walter Scott's novel Waverley.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Waverley is set during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, which sought to restore the Stuart dynasty in the person of Charles Edward Stuart (or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'). It relates the story of a young dreamer and English soldier, Edward Waverley, who was sent to Scotland in 1745. He journeys North from his aristocratic family home, Waverley-Honour, in the south of England (alleged in an English Heritage notice to refer to Waverley Abbey in Surrey) first to the Scottish Lowlands and the home of family friend Baron Bradwardine, then into the Highlands and the heart of the 1745 Jacobite uprising and aftermath.

After a great experience re-reading Ivanhoe last year I had high expectations for another of Sir Walter Scott's novels. Maybe I had too high of expectations or maybe it simply was not a good time for me to be reading it but nevertheless I ended up a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. However I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
First off, I just wasn't that enthralled with the hero Edward Waverley. He was kind of a milk sop. He gets better though thankfully. He hasn't been out a lot in the world before the story starts and his view of the world is controlled by what he has read in books.
The other characters in the story I actually found more interesting than him. His two love interests were interesting, though I definitely preferred Flora, who of course he didn't end up with. I think that was for the best though.
Fergus Mac-Ivor was one of the most intriguing characters in the book though and while I agreed with him on little I found him fascinating.
Overall the book was good and I'm sure I'll come back to it at some point in my life, hopefully with a deeper appreciation.

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Back to the Classics Challenge Wrap Up

While I did fall off the bandwagon with many of my challenges this year I couldn't forsake one of my favorite challenges: the Back to the Classics Challenge! This challenge is hosted by Books and Chocolate. I didn't complete as many categories as I wanted to but I still got quite a few done!
So here's my wrap up post of all the books I completed for the challenge.

1. A 19th Century Classic- Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
2. A 20th Century Classic- All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren 
3. A classic by a woman author- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 
4. An adventure classic - Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester  
5. A fantasy, science fiction, or dystopian classic- Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien 
6. A classic which includes the name of a place in the title- The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
7. A classic which has been banned or censored- Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 
8. Re-read a classic you read in school (high school or college)- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
9. A volume of classic short stories- The Complete Stories of Flannery O Conner by Flannery O Conner

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Book Review- Jane Eyre

This summer I re-read Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. It's a book I've been meaning to re-read for a long time and I'm glad I finally got around to it.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead and subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed.

It had been a long time since I read Jane Eyre originally but since then I have seen several different film versions so I was pretty up on the storyline. However, I soon realized while re-reading it that there is so much in the book that you simply can't put into a movie. Jane Eyre's personal thoughts are what drives this story. There isn't a lot of dialogue. Translating thoughts onto film is never easy. I remember there was one miniseries that I saw that basically had Jane narrating the movie... though of course there was still dialogue and all of that but you got to hear her thoughts. It's been a long time since I've seen it but I think from looking at IMDB it was the 1973 miniseries. I don't remember how practically that turned out but I remember really liking it and wishing all movies were like that... which is definitely not practical. ;)
There's a lot going on in this book. There are plot points and characters that are introduced at the beginning and not resolved or reintroduced until later. Each detail contributes to the genius of the story.
Then there's Jane Eyre herself. Jane is quiet, patient and kind but she has no problem speaking up for herself and doing what she knows is right. Her narrative is thought provoking and beautiful.
Rochester on the other hand I'm not so crazy about. He's manipulative to Jane and he has a lot of self-pity going on that I can't respect. Yes I feel sorry for him and he's in a pretty tough spot but that gives him no excuses for his actions.
I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. Jane Eyre is a great book with a lot to learn from it's pages. I would definitely recommend it!

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Book Review- The Sovereignty of God

For the Non-Fiction reading challenge I read Arthur W. Pink's book The Sovereignty of God.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Arthur W. Pink (1886-1952) explores the rich biblical doctrine of God's sovereignty in creation, redemption, and providence. The God of the Bible is in control of all things. This book is invaluable, as Pink also deals with objections to the doctrine of God's sovereignty and apparent conflicts of the doctrine with the responsibility of man.

This was an absolutely incredible book dealing with a complex but essential doctrine. Just reviewing this book makes me feel like I'm opening up a can of worms and a theological debate. However, this book was so well written and so beneficial to me that I can't not sit her and review and recommend it. I read The Sovereignty of God not longer after reading John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion and it really flowed well to go from one to the other as they really built on each other. God's sovereignty is a belief I've always held to but understanding it and it's implications is something that oftentimes confounds me so it was beneficial to read this in depth but readable book that rested strongly on scripture and freely quoted from the bible. I can't wait to read more of Arthur W. Pink's books!

There were simply too many great quotes to include them all but here are a few.

“To argue that God is “trying His best” to save all mankind, but that the majority of men will not let Him save them, is to insist that the will of the Creator is impotent, and that the will of the creature is omnipotent.”

“Nothing in all the vast universe can come to pass otherwise than God has eternally purposed. Here is a foundation of faith. Here is a resting place for the intellect. Here is an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast. It is not blind fate, unbridled evil, man or Devil, but the Lord Almighty who is ruling the world, ruling it according to His own good pleasure and for His own eternal glory.”

“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by worldly standards, views life from the standpoint of time and sense, and weighs everything in the balances of his own carnal making. But the man of faith brings in God, looks at everything from His standpoint, estimates values by spiritual standards, and views life in the light of eternity. Doing this, he receives whatever comes as from the hand of God. Doing this, his heart is calm in the midst of the storm. Doing this, he rejoices in hope of the glory of God.”

“But now the question arises, Why has God demanded of man that which he is incapable of performing? The first answer is, Because God refuses to lower His standard to the level of our sinful infirmities.”

“To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Ps. 115:3). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible. How different is the God of the Bible from the God of modern Christendom! The conception of Deity which prevails most widely today, even among those who profess to give heed to the Scriptures, is a miserable caricature, a blasphemous travesty of the Truth. The God of the twentieth century is a helpless, effeminate being who commands the respect of no really thoughtful man. The God of the popular mind is the creation of a maudlin sentimentality. The God of many a present-day pulpit is an object of pity rather than of awe-inspiring reverence.[1]”

“To say that Christ is unable to win to Himself those who are unwilling, is to deny that all power in heaven and earth is His. To say that Christ cannot put forth His power without destroying man’s responsibility is a begging of the question here raised, for He has put forth His power and made willing those who have come to Him, and if He did this without destroying their responsibility, why “cannot” He do so with others? If He is able to win the heart of one sinner to Himself, why not that of another? To say, as is usually said, the others will not let Him, is to impeach His sufficiency. It is a question of His will. If the Lord Jesus has decreed, desired, purposed the salvation of all mankind, then the entire human race will be saved, or, otherwise, He lacks the power to make good His intentions; and in such a case it could never be said, “He shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied” (Isa 53:11). The issue raised involves the deity of the Saviour, for a defeated Saviour cannot be God.”

I think those of the Reformed Christian faith would find this the most beneficial but I would still recommend it for all.

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Book Review- All the King's Men

For the Mount TBR Pile challenge, Back to the Classics challenge, 12 Month Classics challenge, Shelf Love challenge and the Classics Club I read Robert Penn Warren's book All the King's Men.

Synopsis from Goodreads: More than just a classic political novel, Warren’s tale of power and corruption in the Depression-era South is a sustained meditation on the unforeseen consequences of every human act, the vexing connectedness of all people and the possibility—it’s not much of one—of goodness in a sinful world. Willie Stark, Warren’s lightly disguised version of Huey Long, the onetime Louisiana strongman/governor, begins as a genuine tribune of the people and ends as a murderous populist demagogue. Jack Burden is his press agent, who carries out the boss’s orders, first without objection, then in the face of his own increasingly troubled conscience. And the politics? For Warren, that’s simply the arena most likely to prove that man is a fallen creature. Which it does.

This was an absolutely fascinating book. At the beginning I felt like it was a little slow but as it went on I was entirely captivated by it. I kept turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. None of the characters were really good, which normally turns me off from a book. They were all intriguing though. Their character and motivations keep the story rolling. The politics were messy, as politics often are. As Warren said, politics really does show off man's moral depravity.
Overall I enjoyed this book though it was not my normal cup of tea.


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Book Review- The Little White Horse

For the Hard Core Re-Reading Challenge I re-read Elizabeth Goudge's children's novel The Little White Horse.

Synopsis from Goodreads: When orphaned young Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she’s entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort—a tragedy that happened years ago, shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it—and Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending. But what can one solitary girl do?A new-fashioned story that is as wonderful as the best fairy tales.

I remember this book only slightly from my childhood and by slightly I mean I remembered there was a white horse so actually not really at all. It was exciting though to experience it like it was the first time. The characters are charming and the writing was beautifully whimsical. I think lovers of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia would enjoy this book as it's a similar writing style.
Read or not? Read!

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Book Review- Lieutenant Hornblower

For the Mount TBR pile challenge I read C.S. Forster's novel Lieutenant Hornblower.

Synopsis from Goodreads: In this gripping tale of turmoil and triumph on the high seas, Horatio Hornblower emerges from his apprenticeship as midshipman to face new responsibilities thrust upon him by the fortunes of war between Napoleon and Spain. Enduring near-mutiny, bloody hand-to-hand combat with Spanish seamen, deck-splintering sea battles, and the violence and horror of life on the fighting ships of the Napoleonic Wars, the young lieutenant distinguishes himself in his first independent command. He also faces an adventure unique in his experience: Maria.

I actually this second installment in the Horatio Hornblower series more than the first. While the first was several individual stories this book focused on one story. It was also interesting in how it was told from the perspective of Lieutenant Bush and what he observed in Hornblower. The stakes seem higher in this story as well and you really see Hornblower's brilliancy play out as he keeps his head and plans his way through each incident. Seeing him through an outside perspective was intriguing and while I think an odd choice for the narrative I also think it was an excellent one. Lieutenant Bush was one of my favorite characters. It was actually interesting to look at all of the different Lieutenants and see how each of them handled themselves in the same situations. It showed that just because someone had been a Lieutenant the longest and therefore would get promoted first did not mean they were the better Lieutenant.
The Captain was crazy. It doesn't take me being a nurse to figure out that he had a mental condition. It was a pretty interesting situation that played out and it seemed like everyone kept their cool a lot better than I could have. I was a 100% done with the Captain by the end of the first chapter.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and I felt it taught a lot about integrity and being a man.

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Book Review- Through Gates of Splendor

For the Mount TBR pile challenge I read Elisabeth Elliot's book Through Gates of Splendor.

Synopsis from Goodreads: In 1956, five young men, including Elliot's husband, Jim, traveled into the jungles of Ecuador to establish communication with the fierce Huaorani Tribe, a people whose only previous response to the outside world has been to attack all strangers. The men's mission combined modern technology with innate ingenuity, sparked by a passionate determination to get the gospel to those without Christ. In a nearby village, their wives waited to hear from them. The news they received - all five missionaries had been murdered - changed lives around the world forever. Written while she was still a missionary in South America and at the request of the men's families, Through Gates of Splendor was Elisabeth Elliot's personal account of the final mission of these five courageous men. Filled with quotations from letters, material from personal journals, a wealth of photographs, and an epilogue update, this book tells a lasting story of God's grace, unconditional love, and great courage. 

If you're a Christian you've probably heard of this book. I certainly did growing up and I'm surprised it has taken me this long to read it. I thought I knew the basic premise of the story... that the men went to the South America as missionaries and ended up getting murdered in the process by the natives, leaving their wives who actually stayed to witness to the murderers of their husbands. What I didn't know was while yes that's the gist of it there is so much more that goes on and that is only the conclusion. It was incredible learning about the different lives of each individual on that trip and their motivations, struggles and convictions. They were wholeheartedly dedicated to God and serving Him.
My favorite quote from the book happens right before the men go on their fateful trip.

"The other wives and I talked together one night about the possibility of becoming widows. What would we do? God gave us peace of heart, and confidence that whatever might happen His Word would hold. We knew that 'when He putteth forth His sheep, He goeth before them.' God's leading was unmistakable up to this point. Each of us knew when we married our husbands that there would never be any question about who came first- God and His work held first place in each life. It was the condition of true discipleship; it became devastatingly meaningful now."  

This was a beautiful and meaningful book and one that I'm glad I've finally gotten around to. Read or not? Read!

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Book Review- Mara, Daughter of the Nile

For the Hard Core Re-reading challenge I re-read Eloise Jarvis McGraw's novel Mara, Daughter of the Nile.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom. In order to gain it, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies - each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt. Against her will, Mara finds herself falling in love with one of her masters, the noble Sheftu, and she starts to believe in his plans of restoring Thutmose III to the throne. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her help and her heart, her duplicity is discovered, and a battle ensues in which both Mara's life and the fate of Egypt are at stake.

It had been a long time since I read Mara, Daughter of the Nile for the first time so I had few memories of it. I did remember my cousin loving it and my being not as crazy about it as she was. I am now though!
Mara, Daughter of the Nile is like a classic YA.... which sounds weird but it's true. It's a historical novel but not horribly historically accurate I'm given to understand so take the history with a grain of salt. The descriptions of Egypt however are spot on and absolutely beautiful. The romance and intrigue is what made it so enjoyable for me though. Sheftu and Mara are a little like Han Solo and Princess Leia, but in this case Sheftu is royalty and Mara is low class. Their dynamic is similar though. The book had enough twists and turns to keep you wondering what is going to happen the whole time. Mara's wit and ingenuity are commendable. Sheftu I wasn't sure about at first but as the book when you got to see more of his soft side and he grew on me a lot.
Overall I enjoyed this re-read and wholeheartedly recommend it for a fun and intriguing read!

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Book (Play) Review- A Midsummer Night's Dream

For the Mount TBR challenge, Shelf Love challenge, the Audiobook challenge and the Classics Club I read (aka listened to) William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Shakespeare's intertwined love polygons begin to get complicated from the start--Demetrius and Lysander both want Hermia but she only has eyes for Lysander. Bad news is, Hermia's father wants Demetrius for a son-in-law. On the outside is Helena, whose unreturned love burns hot for Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander plan to flee from the city under cover of darkness but are pursued by an enraged Demetrius (who is himself pursued by an enraptured Helena). In the forest, unbeknownst to the mortals, Oberon and Titania (King and Queen of the faeries) are having a spat over a servant boy. The plot twists up when Oberon's head mischief-maker, Puck, runs loose with a flower which causes people to fall in love with the first thing they see upon waking. Throw in a group of labourers preparing a play for the Duke's wedding (one of whom is given a donkey's head and Titania for a lover by Puck) and the complications become fantastically funny.

Like most all of Shakespeare's plays, I was pretty familiar with the storyline of A Midsummer Night's Dream. However I had not yet read the actual play. A Midsummer Nights' Dream is a comedy and I did find it quite humorous. I'd love to see a film version if to see how it plays out on screen. It's also a romance. The romantic stuff was hilariously over the top but yet enjoyable. Actually I found the play funnier than I thought I would. It was almost like a period drama with all of the misunderstandings and people falling in love with the wrong people!
Overall I would recommend it for a fun and light read.

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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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