Book Review- Measure for Measure

For the Classics Club I read William Shakespeare's play Measure for Measure.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Measure for Measure is among the most passionately discussed of Shakespeare’s plays. In it, a duke temporarily removes himself from governing his city-state, deputizing a member of his administration, Angelo, to enforce the laws more rigorously. Angelo chooses as his first victim Claudio, condemning him to death because he impregnated Juliet before their marriage.Claudio’s sister Isabella, who is entering a convent, pleads for her brother’s life. Angelo attempts to extort sex from her, but Isabella preserves her chastity. The duke, in disguise, eavesdrops as she tells her brother about Angelo’s behavior, then offers to ally himself with her against Angelo.

Measure for Measure was one of Shakespeare's plays that I really was not familiar with before reading. That always makes for a more difficult reading experience for me with Shakespeare's plays. I always like to have a preliminary idea of what his plays are about before I read them as it's just easier to follow them then. I did read a synopsis beforehand because of that, which did help. This was definitely an interesting play and I'm glad I got the chance to be introduced to another of Shakespeare's plays. The play is basically about hypocrisy and morals.
Claudio is supposed to be moral and cleaning up the city but is really just an immoral hypocrite. The Duke is a moral person with a good heart who tries to help everyone.... though I'm not sure he necessarily goes about it the best way. Isabella is the only truly moral one in my opinion, sticking to her virtues despite an impossible situation. With how messed up of a situation this play portrays it surprisingly has a happily ever after ending.
 There's a lot to discuss in this play and I think it would be a very interesting book to read in a group setting and discuss. I'm definitely wanting to watch it now. Have you read it or seen the play live? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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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 (play) Review- Othello

For the Shelf Love challenge, Mount TBR Pile Challenge and the Audiobook Challenge I read (listened) to William Shakespeare's play Othello.

Synopsis from Goodreads: In Othello, Shakespeare creates a powerful drama of a marriage that begins with fascination (between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona), with elopement, and with intense mutual devotion and that ends precipitately with jealous rage and violent deaths. He sets this story in the romantic world of the Mediterranean, moving the action from Venice to the island of Cyprus and giving it an even more exotic coloring with stories of Othello's African past. Shakespeare builds so many differences into his hero and heroine—differences of race, of age, of cultural background—that one should not, perhaps, be surprised that the marriage ends disastrously. But most people who see or read the play feel that the love that the play presents between Othello and Desdemona is so strong that it would have overcome all these differences were it not for the words and actions of Othello's standard-bearer, Iago, who hates Othello and sets out to destroy him by destroying his love for Desdemona. As Othello succumbs to Iago's insinuations that Desdemona is unfaithful, fascination—which dominates the early acts of the play—turns to horror, especially for the audience. We are confronted by spectacles of a generous and trusting Othello in the grip of Iago's schemes; of an innocent Desdemona, who has given herself up entirely to her love for Othello only to be subjected to his horrifying verbal and physical assaults, the outcome of Othello's mistaken convictions about her faithlessness.

I feel like that synopsis sums it up beautifully. I liked this play... more than I thought I would. I felt so bad for Desdemona and was so mad at Othello. It was a little like Hero and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing only at least that has a happy ending! The love they had for each other was deep and it was moving how Desdemona retained that deep love for Othello even as he started to emotionally abuse her and thereafter. Othello's speech about never being jealous about her was great... until he turned around right after that and was jealous. Iago was absolutely diabolical! How he schemed and connived everything was terrifying.
This play was truly a tragedy. It told the classic tale of jealousy and a friend turning against a friend. With knowing so little about it before I listened to it, I was surprised how much I liked it. I had to pay a lot closer attention to it because of that but I think that caused me to enjoy it more as I focused on Shakespeare's imaginative and beautiful words.

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

Today's theme for Top Ten Tuesday is top ten books that would be on my syllabus if I taught X 101. I went with classics because.... duh... this is Lois. ;) Some of these are my favorites others of these I like but they're not my absolute favorite though I think they should be included because they are great literature. I tried to include a mixture of more modern classics and classic classics.
I also included a secondary list. Because if I had this class I would give them extra credit for reading the secondary reading list. Now I really want to teach this class!

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

Secondary Reading

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

There are obviously a LOT of great classics so of course I missed some good ones. Even though I've read so many classics there are so many I still have yet to read so just because your favorite isn't on here doesn't mean it doesn't deserve to be! Frankenstein, 1984, Animal Farm, David Copperfield, Great Expectations and Anna Karenina are not my favorites but I can appreciate them and I think they are very interesting books to look at and study.
Any you would add?

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Book (play) Review- Romeo and Juliet

A whole lot of DRAMA! That's what this play entailed. None more dramatic than Juliet, closely followed by Romeo. Apparently opposites don't attract...
William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet goes towards my audiobook challenge, mount TBR challenge and Play On challenge.
So you may get the impression that I wasn't crazy about this play. You'd be right. I'm not a big fan of romance and since Romeo and Juliet kind of epitomizes romance, it didn't really sit well with me.
First off, Romeo liked Rosalind first and he was crazy about her and mooning about her and blah, blah, blah. However, then he meets Juliet and suddenly Rosalind is not so hot and Juliet is perfection and he's head over heels for her. Seriously? Don't forget that their parents are feuding so they can't openly love each other.
Then, Juliet speaks to the night about her love for this guy she scarcely met while Romeo listens because he sneaked into her garden to watch outside her window because that's not stalker like at all. Then Romeo reveals himself to her and they declare their undying love for each other, blah, blah, blah. Seriously? Then the next day they decide to get secretly married because they are so in love. Seriously?
Then you know there's the whole thing with Romeo killing her cousin in a duel (which really wasn't exactly Romeo's fault... I'll give him that). So Romeo gets banished and Juliet is more heart broken over that than the fact that her cousin who she was close to was killed. SERIOUSLY??? Than Juliet's parents want her to marry Paris, who is actually a decent guy, so Juliet is in a sticky situation. The friar who married them comes up with a plan to have her fake her own death and than Romeo come rescue her from her tomb. However, there's some issues with communication so Romeo only hears that she's dead... not about the whole plan where she's not dead and he rescues her. So he plans to commit suicide over her grave. SERIOUSLY??? Unfortunately he picks a bad time to as Paris is also visiting her grave then so they fight and Paris is killed. Than Romeo downs some poison and dies over Juliet's grave. THEN, Juliet wakes up from her deathly slumber and sees Romeo lying dead and decides to commit suicide too so she takes his dagger and falls on it, killing herself. SERIOUSLY???
Than their family's show up and the only really good thing that comes out of this mess is that they decide to stop their feuding due to the deaths that it has caused.
I can't say much good about this play. I thought it was entirely over the top and mushy and dramatic and ugh. I've heard from some reviewers that people like me are missing the point of the play so maybe I am. Overall, though I tend to like Shakespeare, I am not a fan of Romeo and Juliet.

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Book (Play) Review- King Lear

For the Alphabet Soup Challenge, the audiobook challenge and every TBR pile challenge I've signed up or ;) I read William Shakespeare's play King Lear. I was incredibly unfamiliar with this play so I was horribly lost listening to it. After listening to each act I read the Sparknotes on it to make sure I understood what happened in it. Thankfully, I was able to keep it fairly straight in my head with that.

Synopsis from Goodreads: One of Shakespeare's finest tragedies, the work displays a pessimism and nihilism that make it a 20th-century favorite. The aging King Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, allotting each a portion in proportion to the eloquence of her declaration of love. The hypocritical Goneril and Regan make grand pronouncements and are rewarded; Cordelia, the youngest daughter, who truly loves Lear, refuses to make an insincere speech to prove her love and is disinherited. The two older sisters mock Lear and renege on their promise to support him. Cast out, the king slips into madness and wanders about accompanied by his faithful Fool. He is aided by the Earl of Kent, who, though banished from the kingdom for having supported Cordelia, has remained in Britain disguised as a peasant.

Despite my unfamiliarity with this play, I did like it. I was telling my little sister about it and she said she'd though she'd heard a fairy tale like it before so I think the basic plot is probably an old and famous one. Since she mentioned that, I have recalled hazily that I read that fairly tale too. The intrigue in this story is higher I think than in most of Shakespeare's plays. The daughters... Goneril and Regan that is... made me mad! I felt sorry for Lear but felt he kind of deserved what he got for being so blinded and heartless.... kind of.  You can see his repentance throughout the play. Poor Cordelia is horribly mistreated but stays true to her father throughout and it is for her I feel the most sorry for her in the end.
The side story with the Duke of Gloucestershire and his sons was interesting. The Duke rather got his recompense for being such a jerk to his illegitimate son but again.... not really... I still feel sorry for him! Edmund manipulated all over the place just to get back at his father and his legitimately born brother. Edgar seemed like a decent guy and he cares for his father throughout it all.
Overall, an intriguing play. I would really like to watch a film version to see how it plays out on screen. It looks like there is a newer one with Ian Mckellan and then an older one with Lawrence Olivier so they're probably both pretty great. While not my favorite of Shakespeare's tragedy's, it was quite good!

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Blessed with Books

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

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

What a beautiful edition am I right?

Beowulf translated by J.R.R. Tolkien

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

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

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

Two Doctor Who Bookmarks

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

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

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Book (Play) Review- Macbeth

Someday, someday in the far future, I will finish all of Shakespeare's plays. To move towards that impossible goal, I read Macbeth... rather I listened to an audiobook of it but close enough right? ;)

Synopsis from Wikipedia: Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, and tells the story of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia, and he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of arrogance, madness, and death.

I actually was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed Macbeth. Hamlet is the only other of Shakespeare's tragedies I have read and comparing Macbeth to it, I liked Macbeth better... I'm not quite sure why but I did. The plot was maybe just more interesting to me. At the beginning I was rooting for Macbeth to stop listening to his wife and resist killing his King. It seemed that as he got closer and closer to actually killing him, the king kept doing more and more kind things and I'm really just wondering what was going through Macbeth's thick skull! However, later it was interesting to see how the tables turned and now Macbeth was power hungry and on a killing kick while his wife was being driven mad by it. One of my favorite lines from it and one that I think summed up the story well was when Macbeth said:

 "Better be with the dead,Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
In restless ecstasy."

 In the end everything fell apart for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth despite doing what they thought would fix everything. Foreknowledge is a scary thing and it never seems to turn out well in the stories. It definitely didn't in this one. Overall, I think this is one of my favorite of Shakespeare's plays... and that's saying a lot as I normally don't like tragedies. :)
This play belongs the Renaissance literary movement and for the main reason that Shakespeare almost defined that movement. The Renaissance was about being new and different... revolutionary and that's what Shakespeare did and this play was no different.
Reading this will go towards the Play On Challenge, Mount TBR Pile Challenge, Literary Movement Challenge, Alphabet Soup Challenge, Author A-Z challenge, Coyer challenge, and Audiobook challenge as well as I am linking this post up with Mama Kat today. :)

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Book (Play) Review- Hamlet

I've read many children's or abridged versions of Hamlet but have never gotten the full story until now. This was an intriguing story for me.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Hamlet is the story of the Prince of Denmark who learns of the death of his father at the hands of his uncle, Claudius. Claudius murders Hamlet's father, his own brother, to take the throne of Denmark and to marry Hamlet's widowed mother. Hamlet is sunk into a state of great despair as a result of discovering the murder of his father and the infidelity of his mother. Hamlet is torn between his great sadness and his desire for the revenge of his father's murder.

The most interesting part for me of the whole play was that the line "sweets for the sweet" comes from it. Who knew? If I had been told that it came from a Shakespeare play I certainly not have guessed a tragedy. Speaking of tragedy, Hamlet is just about the most tragic story I've ever read. It's depressing! Everybody dies! Oops spoiler! But at leas I didn't say who died... just that everyone does. ;) 
Overall I think it is a good story and one that has most obviously inspired other writings including (I'm given to understand though I haven't watched it) the Disney film The Lion King. There are a lot of good lines in the play, besides the one I mentioned above, such as the famous "to be or not to be" speech.  I would like to watch a film version to see how Hamlet is played out on screen to get a better feel for it but in my opinion it gives you a lot of food for thought though it is very tragic. 

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Book (Play) Review- As You Like It

This was one of the hardest Shakespeares I've listened to to follow along to as I wasn't as familiar with the story line. However I enjoyed it and I'm hoping to watch a film version soon to fill in all of my holes. :)

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads: As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the First Folio, 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility. As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia and Touchstone the court jester, to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden. Historically, critical response has varied, with some critics finding the work of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works and some finding the play a work of great merit.
The play features one of Shakespeare's most famous and oft-quoted speeches, "All the world's a stage", and is the origin of the phrase "too much of a good thing". The play remains a favourite among audiences and has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre.

As You Like It is a fun romantic comedy with not lots of depth but plenty of laughs. Mistaken identities and love sick hearts are the theme in this play with a touch of power struggle to round it out. There's really not much more to it. I'd recommend read or listen to it and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did. :)

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Book (Play) Review: Henry V

One of my favorite Shakespeares but probably mostly because I really like the Kenneth Branaugh movie. The opening chorus though is one of my favorites and I also really Henry V's St. Crispin's Day speech. Those have been my favorites for a long time, even before I watched or read it. I'm just going to share these here now so you can impart in my love for them. :)

St. Crispin's Day Speech

Westmorland- O that we now had here     But one ten thousand of those men in England     That do no work to-day!  

Henry V- What's he that wishes so?     My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;     If we are mark'd to die, we are enow     To do our country loss; and if to live,     The fewer men, the greater share of honour.     God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.     By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,     Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;     It yearns me not if men my garments wear;     Such outward things dwell not in my desires.     But if it be a sin to covet honour,     I am the most offending soul alive.     No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.     God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour     As one man more methinks would share from me     For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!     Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,     That he which hath no stomach to this fight,     Let him depart; his passport shall be made,     And crowns for convoy put into his purse;     We would not die in that man's company     That fears his fellowship to die with us.     This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.     He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,     Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,     And rouse him at the name of Crispian.     He that shall live this day, and see old age,     Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,     And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'     Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,     And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'     Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,     But he'll remember, with advantages,     What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,     Familiar in his mouth as household words-     Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,     Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-     Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.     This story shall the good man teach his son;     And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,     From this day to the ending of the world,     But we in it shall be remembered-     We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;     For he to-day that sheds his blood with me     Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,     This day shall gentle his condition;     And gentlemen in England now-a-bed     Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,     And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks     That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Henry V Chorus 

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend 
The brightest heaven of invention, 
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act 
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! 
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, 
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels, 
Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire 
Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all, 
The flat unraised spirits that have dared 
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth 
So great an object: can this cockpit hold 
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram 
Within this wooden O the very casques 
That did affright the air at Agincourt? 
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may 
Attest in little place a million; 
And let us, ciphers to this great accompt, 
On your imaginary forces work. 
Suppose within the girdle of these walls 
Are now confined two mighty monarchies, 
Whose high upreared and abutting fronts 
The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder: 
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts; 
Into a thousand parts divide on man, 
And make imaginary puissance; 
Think when we talk of horses, that you see them 
Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth; 
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings, 
Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times, 
Turning the accomplishment of many years 
Into an hour-glass: for the which supply, 
Admit me Chorus to this history; 
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray, 
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.

See how amazing those are! Obviously these should be enough for you to want to go read Henry V right now. Or you could do an audiobook like I did. I always like listening to Shakespeare on audiobook. I know I've mentioned that here before but I really think that is a preferable way to "read" Shakespeare. There's not really anymore raptures I have available for Henry V!  Just read/listen to it! 

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Movie Review- Much Ado About Nothing (2012)

I am not a great Shakespeare fan, not saying that I don't enjoy Shakespeare, but I'm not head over heels in love with his works and know them all backwards and forwards. My two favorites have always been Much Ado about Nothing, and The Taming of the Shrew, though I enjoy all of his plays. I've been wanting to see this version of Much Ado about Nothing since hearing about it and had high expectations. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. Just a note, this is my first film version I have seen so far so I have nothing to compare it with. I have heard rave reviews about the Kenneth Branaugh, Emma Thompson version though, so I'm sure it's good as well.
Just a warning, despite it being a great adaptation, it does have two bad scenes that I just dimmed my computer screen for. You can read more specifics about those two scene and anything else that you might find objectionable on IMDB's parent guide here.
Everything else about though I loved! Joss Whedon did a great job of putting it in present day without really changing much of anything. The black and white was interesting and, in my opinion, not bad. The lines were pretty much all the same as to the play. I don't claim to know the play perfectly but all of the lines at least sounded right. :)
The casting was incredible and I loved all of the character's performances. Clark Gregg as Leonato was a surprise to me but I really enjoyed his performance, though it was hard to separate him from his normal superhero affiliations. :) Nathan Fillion's portrayal of Dogberry was outstandingly humorous as all of Nathan Fillion's performances are. :)
I recommend it but as mentioned above, there are some questionable scenes so be sure to look into those. Overall though, I really enjoyed the movie and I will definitely rewatch it in the future.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Eight Must Read Books

Today I am linking up again with Mama Kat to talk about eight books that I believe everyone should read in their lifetime. Before I list them, this is just my opinion, there are a lot of books I haven't read, so take it as it is. Some of them, I list one book, but I like all the books by that author so kind of think of it as a set of books. :) Please comment and let me know what books you would put on your list of must reads!

The Bible

As a Christian I obviously consider this to be a must read. It is the word of God and it shows us His will for our lives. I am given to understand, that even non-Christians consider it to be a "good book". 

Pride and Prejudice

Of course… y'all know it's my favorite book. I think all of Jane Austen's books have a lot to teach about human nature. Some of my favorite aspects of her books are how she shows who people really are by what they say, the relationships that she creates between people (not necessarily romantic but also familial) and her strong sense of right and wrong. In Pride and Prejudice, I especially love the witty lines and how it portrays the relationship between Elizabeth and her father. I love all of Austen's other books but especially Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. 

The Lord of the Rings

Another of my very favorites. In this book Tolkien created an incredible whole new world that is breathtakingly beautiful from the majesty of Minias Tirith to the simpleness of the Shire. I also enjoyed The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. 

David Copperfield

Dickens is considered one of the greatest authors in history. His characters and stories are timeless. David Copperfield isn't my favorite Dickens but I do think it is probably his best. I also enjoy Bleak House, Nicholas Nickleby and Dombey and Son. I know Great Expectations is also considered very great but I watched the movie when I was young and Miss Havishman freaked me out so I couldn't enjoy the book as much after that. 

To Kill a Mockingbird

To be honest, I've only read this once, and I don't very clearly remember the book… though I do remember liking it. However, I very vividly remember the movie as one of my favorite movies ever. This is a great story that goes deeply into issues that still face the world today. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechism

This made a big impact in my life when I read it during high school as it helped me understand a lot more about what I believe and why it is true. I believe it to be a great tool to help Christians understand what the Bible says… though definitely not a substitute for the Bible.

Killer Angels

I thought I should include something historical as well and I consider this to be one of my very favorite historical novels. It concerns the War between the States. One of my favorite aspects of it is how it shows both sides of the war, allowing you to see and sympathize with the various historical figures. 

The Taming of the Shrew

Okay… this probably isn't Shakespeare's best or most famous… but it's my favorite of his works and I thought some Shakespeare should be included on this list because, well, he is kind of an famous and impactful author. I enjoy his other writings as well… especially Much Ado about Nothing. 

This was an incredibly hard list to make. I had to not think only of what my favorite books are, but what are books that I think important to read. Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list, as there are so many other great books out there that I would highly encourage people to read, but I think this is a good start with a mix of fun and humorous to serious and thought provoking. Again, please comment and let me know what you would consider the the top eight books everyone should read in their lifetime.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.