2019 Tolkien Blog Party Tag

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

Would you rather... 

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

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2018 New Year's Tag

I've never done this tag before but I remember I planned to do it a couple years ago and I'm not sure why I didn't. Anyways this year it's happening! I found this tag at Classics and Craziness but I'm not sure where it originated from.

What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?

Gave birth!

Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make one this year?

I didn't really make any resolutions last year. I wanted to finish up my Classics Club challenge but that didn't happen so now I plan or this year.

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Well I did.... But besides that my sister-in-law did too and several friends.

Did anyone close to you die?

My great-uncle passed away.

What countries/states did you visit?

We went to Minnesota in May so that took us through Missouri and Iowa as well. We also had a family reunion in North Carolina which took us through Missouri (again), Illinois (for like five minutes) Kentucky and Tennessee.

What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?

More patience!

What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory?

Our little Hobbit's birthdate as well as the couple days leading up to it for sure.

Did you move anywhere?

Nope.

What was the best month?

Wow! Hmmm. I feel it's wrong to not say April... the month our little Hobbit was born but on the other hand that was a really hard month. I don't know if I could say that was my best. I love the whole Christmas season so I guess December.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Giving birth! For those of you who have multiple children I have an enormous amount of respect for you ladies! My experience did not turn me off from having more kids but it was definitely an endeavor. 

What was your biggest failure?

There's so many ways in which I feel like I've failed as a mother but I know so much of that is in my head and are silly expectations I have put on myself.

Did you suffer illness or injury?

At the very beginning of the year I got the flu and actually had to stay in the hospital overnight for it since I was pregnant and they wanted to keep me and the baby closely monitored.

What was the best thing you bought?

ALL THE BOOKS!!!

Whose behavior merited celebration?

Brian's! Honestly his behavior merits a best husband of the year award. I never could have made it through this journey of motherhood without him. He has all the patience I lack and is so sweet and caring.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

My own. All the hormones after giving birth are not cool!

Where did most of your money go?

Baby stuff for sure! Thankfully so much of what we needed were gifts but still a lot of money went to stuff for our little Hobbit. Not that I regret any of it!

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Our little Hobbit! She's such a blessing and I still get really, really, really exited about her! Besides her, though, Brian and I went to a Lindsay Sterling concert this past fall that was AMAZING!!!

What was the best concert you’ve been to this year?

I only went to the aforementioned Lindsay Sterling concert but that doesn't make any less the BEST!

What song/album will always remind you of 2018?

The soundtrack to Mama Mia! I love that soundtrack so much and love dancing around the house to it as I clean or bake. I'd never watched Mama Mia! before this year and I only watched it because I like the sound of the music from the trailer for Mama Mia Here we go Again. So I watched Mama Mia! meaning to watch the second when it came out but I never got around to it. The first is only meh anyways. I think whenever I hear that soundtrack in the future though it will make me back to 2018, babies, nursing and cookies.

Compared to this time last year, are you:

1. Happier or sadder? In so many ways happier but I still have my sad days. Definitely less rested.
2. Thinner or fatter? Thinner... though to be completely fair this time last year I was very pregnant.
3. Richer or poorer? Well my husband keeps track of our finances more than I do but probably poorer since I only work part time anymore.

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Relaxing. Reading

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Stressing out. Worrying.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

The aforementioned Mama Mia!!!!

How did you spend Christmas?

With family. Just how I like it. I had to work Christmas Eve but I was so thankful to have Christmas Day and surrounding days to spend with my wonderful family.

How are you spending New Year’s?

With my family as well.

Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?

Probably my cousin Anna. As kids we would talk on the phone for hours and we still do. Living several states away makes it a necessity.

What was the best book you read?

I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel and The Gospel Comes with a Housekey by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. 

What was the best movie you watched?

I'm having a hard time remembering what I've watched this year! Maybe Infinity War?

Did you fall in love in 2018?

Well besides Brian, who I fall more and more in love with every day....
Our little Hobbit of course! From that first moment I held her in my arms I was in love! She's a mischievous little child but I love her to bits!

What was your favorite TV show?

Oh that's hard! I have been watching a LOT of TV Shows while I nurse and for the most part have enjoyed them all. We are almost done with Frasier but it's got to be one of my favorite shows of the year for sure. I also watched Agents of Shield this year and LOVED it.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No.

What did you want and get?

A healthy baby!

What did you want and not get?

In my head I had a perfect plan for how breastfeeding would go and how it would be so easy and effortless but that wasn't at all how it was. It was a huge struggle and tear inducer at the beginning and it still occasionally has it's struggles now. I craved that perfect nursing relationship so badly and this year I've had to learn to let go of that ideal.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?

Comfortable! And no dresses cause breastfeeding.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 24 this past year and I spent it in the hospital for the aforementioned flu. Not really the birthday I had planned. Oh well. My family had a nice celebration for me the next week when I was feeling much better.

What kept you sane?

Brian and many wonderful friends.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Not having all of those struggles with breastfeeding at the beginning.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Hmmm. I'm sure there was somebody but I don't remember.

What political issue stirred you the most?

Abortion. Which is more of a moral than political issue. I've always been against abortion but actually being pregnant and giving birth has given me a whole new perspective on the issue and it is something that saddens me so much.

Who did you miss?

I always miss my family that lives far away like my cousin Anna and her family.

Who was the best new person you met?

I can't think of any best "new" person I met this year. My friend Anne, who I'd met a couple years ago, I developed a deeper friendship with that's been so uplifting.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.

To not stress out over everything... okay I haven't learned it yet... but I'm working on it!

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I can't think of anything!

Five things I want to do in 2019:

1. Finish my Classics Club challenge
2. Get into a better routine with cleaning the house
3. Become a better meal planner
4. Clean out my house (I have a more specific list as regards this written down)
5. Read! No specific number.... just read and enjoy it. 

I hope this gives you a little snapshot into my year. 2018 was not easy but I have grown so much in it and I know that God was working in me through it all. 

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2018 End of Year Reading Survey

I'm joining up again for the End of Year Survey hosted by The Perpetual Page Turner. You can join in too HERE.

2018 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 26 Books
Number of Re-Reads: 4 Books
Genre You Read The Most From: Classics

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

• Fiction: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer 
• Non-Fiction: The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield and I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel, Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey, The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 
• Re-Read- The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I liked Doyle's other adventure novel The Lost World by The White Company just was not as engaging for me.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Escape by Carolyn Jessup. The book absolutely shocked me and I would highly recommend it to learn more about the FLDS cult. 

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. I got my book club to read it. It's still one of my favorite books and it was a blast to re-read it.

5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

Best series I started was the Tarzan of the Apes series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I don't know when I'll have time time but I would really like to finish the series.  

Best sequel (and only sequel) I read was Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth. 

I didn't finish any series this year. 

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Henry James. I really enjoyed The Portrait of a Lady by him and I'm really looking forward to reading more of his books in the future.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I read a few books I normally wouldn't this year actually. Probably most out of my comfort zone was Escape by Carolyn Jessop. I don't normally read memoirs and certainly not ones about the FLDS. Thankfully it was one of our choices for book club and I'm so glad I read it.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Hmmm... as mentioned above Escape really kept me turning the pages, mostly in shock. I read it a few days and probably would have finished it faster but it was the holidays so I was a little tied up. 

9. Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Hmmm... there's nothing that would really stand out to me as one I would be most likely to re-read next year. Maybe I'd Rather Be Reading just cause it makes me happy.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

I'd Rather be Reading. It just invokes the cozy, feel good reading feeling.

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

I wouldn't say I had any SUPER memorable characters this year but overall I think I would've to go with Sophy from the Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer I think. She's so wacky and fun!

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel.  It's such a lovely comforting books and it just draws you in with it's beauty and simplicity.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

The Gospel Comes with a Housekey by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. It's definitely revolutionized my thoughts about hospitality and challenged me to become a more hospitable person even if it's in little ways.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

The Grand Sophy! Loved it!!! I've heard Georgette Heyer recommended before and I can't believe I only finally this year got around to reading one of her books!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

All of I'd Rather be Reading!!!! But here are a few of my favorite quotes from it. 

“A good book, when we return to it, will always have something new to say. It's not the same book, and we're not the same reader”

“We can’t know what a book will mean to us until we read it. And so we take a leap and choose.”

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Shortest: Mortification of Sin by John Owen
Longest: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Escape by Carolyn Jessop for so many reasons but mainly the amount of abuse that goes on in the FLDS and still continues to go on. It's such a sad story!

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Sophy and Charles from The Grand Sophy (opposites totally attract!) and Pierre and Natasha from War and Peace (I would have been so upset if they had not ended up together!).

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

I love Molly and Vivian's friendship in Orphan Train.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. I've loved all of Trollope's books so far and this was no exception.

21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda. One of the girls from book club chose it to read since she'd enjoyed it and I actually really enjoyed it... though there were aspects of it (language etc.) that I didn't love.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

I don't think there were any guys in the books I read this year that I was crushing on.

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

I didn't get to any 2018 debuts this year.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I think Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Maybe it's partly cause I listened to the audiobook but I really felt immersed in the jungle setting.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

The Grand Sophy! I smiled and laughed the whole way through. It was FUN! 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?

I don't think I had any crying books this year that I can remember.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I'd Rather be Reading for sure! I'd never even heard of it or it's author (now I love reading Anne Bogel's blog!) but I randomly got my hands on it and LOVED it!

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I don't think there were any soul crushers this year.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

Intensity by Dean Koontz. The title says it all. It's definitely unique among Koontz's books but I'm not sure I loved it.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Escape by Carolyn Jessop. I HATED so many of the characters in the story and the sad thing is those characters are real people and they were doing real evil. 

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018?

Modern Mrs Darcy which is a blog by Anne Bogel who wrote the aforementioned I'd Rather be Reading.

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2018?

You, Me and a Cup of Tea for sure!

3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2018?

I love these photos of Brian reading to Abby. 

4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?

My church's women's group had a book exchange for a Christmas party! So much fun!!!!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

I don't know if there were any best "moments". I'm just glad I was able to keep up with both blogging and reading this year even with having a baby. I know I've not been terribly consistent but I've kept with it! 

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Besides what I just mentioned, it was also challenging to admit that I couldn't finish up my Classics Club challenge this year. Next year! 

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

By views You, Me and a Cup of Tea. By comments I think Our Hobbit. 

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Let's Talk about The Paradise... I still want people's thoughts on this! 

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I already mentioned Modern Mrs Darcy as far as blogs go. If you haven't gone and checked out Thrift Books yet as I've told you all to before then do it! As far as books stores when we were in Asheville this summer I had fun randomly finding two different bookstores while we were walking downtown!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I think the only reading challenge I completed this year was the Back to the Classics challenge and I only completed the lowest level of it. But at least I did that! Last year I'm not sure I completed any!

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon. Sadly this is what I said last year for this category and I still didn't make it to it. 2019 is the year!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)?

I don't keep up enough with what new books are coming out unfortunately. 

3. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I don't keep up enough with what new books are coming out unfortunately.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019?

I don't keep up enough with what new books are coming out unfortunately.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019?

Finish my Classics Club challenge. I didn't get it finished this year like I'd planned to but want and hope to in 2019.

6. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

N/A

It's always fun to fill this survey out and look back on my reading year. Be sure to join in on the fun!

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We Love Superheroes Tag

Hamlette from Hameltte's Soliloquy is having a We Love Superheroes Week over on her blog so you NEED to go check it out if you love superheroes in any way shape or form... she's including everything from Marvel to DC to Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog to The Incredibles so you know it's going to be awesome! To kick off the week she's having a tag, which of course I'm going to fill out as you know me and my affinity for tags.
And to really get myself in the mood I think I'll listen to a little music from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. :)

1. Who are your favorite superheroes? (Go ahead and list up to five if you want!)

• Captain America... An exemplary guy. How can you not like him?
• Black Widow... I love that she doesn't have any real superhero powers per say but still has got the moves! 
• Batman... I've never seen a single Batman movie except oddly enough the Lego Batman movie but it's been an inside joke that "I'm Batman" for so long I'm struggling to remember how it started... I even have Batman pajamas. 
• Superman... not really.... but everyone assumes he is cause my name is Lois and Lois Lane and all. I've never watched a single Superman movie either. 

2. What's your favorite superhero movie?

Wow.... how to choose? I love The Incredibles, all of the Captain America movies, both Guardians of the Galaxy and the first Avengers movie. Those are probably my favorites.

3. Do you have a favorite superhero couple?

Captain America and Peggy Carter. I love that she was interested in him before he got all interesting if you know what I mean. Also of course Mr. Incredible and Elastagirl. <3

4. What was your introduction to the world of superheroes?

The first superhero movies I can remember watching were the Toby Maguire Spiderman movies. After that it would have been The Incredibles. Then in 2012 we watched The Avengers and we've been going steady since then.

5. If you could be any superhero for a day, who would you like to be?

Black Widow I think. 

6. Do you have a favorite supervillain?

Loki perhaps? I'm not one of those fangirls but it is easier to like him then most super villains.

7. Can you think of a superhero who should get their own solo film, but hasn't yet?

Black Widow!!!

8. Do you read comic books?

*Hangs head in shame* No. My dad was always a fan but I didn't pick that up.

9. Why do you like superheroes?

Honestly it's nothing deep. They're fun, action packed and inspiring (not in a super deep way but still).

10. Have you ever cosplayed as a superhero? Feel free to share pics if you want!

No... unless you count my batman pajamas. ;)

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Couples for Couples Tag

Cordy over at Any Merry Little Thought is having a Lovely Blog Party, which includes this splendid tag! You all know how I love tags so I'm filling it out! I might be stealing a couple answers from other bloggers who filled this tag out but they were too good and I can't help but agree!

Rules:

Using the prompts below, answer the following questions as creatively as you please

None of the questions require you to answer with a favorite in the category, only to find a fitting answer. They can be old, they can be new, they can be borrowed or they can be blue... they can be known or they can be unknown. You can explain your answer once you've given one.
If you don't have a blog, answer the tag in the comment section and for those of you who have blogs, leave a link to your answers in the comment section 

Ivanhoe and Rebecca: Name a couple that should have been together

Joe Bradley and Princess Ann from Roman Holiday. Mia and Sebastian from La La Land. 

Jo and Laurie: Name a couple that should have stayed friends...or did stay friends...

I absolutely agree with Jo and Laurie. Besides that.... hmmm.... can't think of any others off the top of my head.

Jane and Mr. Rochester: Name a couple that looked like the chances of a happily ever after were next to none!

Sister Bernadette/Shelagh and Dr. Turner from Call the Midwife. I remember in the first couple seasons seeing the growing affection for each other and thinking it was hopeless but so sweet and I couldn't' believe when it all turned out! I love them so much!!!!

Jane and Mr. Bingley: Name a couple that is just sooo happy!

Brian and I.... ;) Besides us you say? Hmmm.... No... no one is as happy us us. Other couples simply smile... we laugh! If you don't get that reference then we can't be friends. 

But since I mention that quote then how can I not mention the couple that it's about?!?! Mr. Darcy and Lizzy Bennett!!!! See the whole question was wrong since it points out in the book that they are happier as Jane only smiles and Lizzy laughs! But now I've given away the reference. Oh well. 

Just look at this picture! Joy radiates from their faces! 

Kit and Ella: Name your favorite fairytale couple

Belle and the Beast. Eugene/Flynn and Rapunzel.

Molly Gibson and Roger Hamley: Name a couple where the woman is basically ignored by the suitor until the end of the story (frustration at it's finest!! :P :P)

I would definitely say Molly and Roger! Also Fanny and Edmund in Mansfield Park.

Sarah and Jacob Witting: Name a couple that found love later in life

I had to look up who that couple was cause I have a bad memory apparently... anyways for others with other bad memories they're from Sarah, Plain and Tall. Anyways.... I feel like in all the series where couples find love later in life one always ends up dying before they can get married!!! I hate that! Okay after some thinking and searching I remembered Miss Lavender and Stephen Irving from Anne of Avonlea, who are perfectly adorable!

Don Lockwood and Kathy Seldon: Name a couple from a musical

Oh I do love musicals! Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is my favorite musical and I do really like Adam and Millie from it so I'll go with them.

Anne and Gilbert: Name a couple that didn't start out on the right foot

I love Anne and Gilbert!!! Besides them so I'll have to go with Han Solo and Princess Leia. I also like Peter and Ellie from It Happened One Night.

Faramir and Eowyn: Name a couple with the sweetest love story

I do love Faramir and Eowyn but I'd have to go with Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland from Northangner Abbey... they're so cute! 

<3

Well that's all folks! 

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Yet Another Period Drama Tag

I've seen this tag floating around for a week or so now and it looks like fun so I'm going to steal it. With a little searching I found it began over at Musing of a Jane Austen Wannabe and you an see the original post HERE. I've never read this blog before but looking over it I think I've found another kindred blogging spirit.

1. What was the most recent period drama you watched? Share what you thought of it.

I'm watching The Crown right now... halfway through season 2. I like it but parts of it give me complicated emotions. 

2. Do you generally prefer period dramas in the form of a movie or a TV series/mini-series? Why?

It depends but normally I think I lean TV series/mini series. But if a movie is well done it can be just as enjoyable but there just tends to be more period drama mini series and TV series that are well done. I think the genre just lends itself better to the longer format. 

3. What is your favorite musical period drama?

My favorite musical is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which I guess is technically a period drama so there's my answer! 

4. Read the book first or watch the movie first?

I try to always read the book first and I was definitely pickier about that when I was younger and probably kind of snobby about it. I'm a little laxer now though. 

5. What is a valuable life lesson you learned from a period drama?

Most of the life lessons from period dramas are pretty lovey dovey and unrealistic so probably not the greatest. I think though in Austen's works you get much more solid lessons like that of the danger of first impressions. 

6. Which period drama hero would you be likely to fall in love with in real life?

Probably Mr. Tilney. He's so charismatic yet wise! He'd make me laugh but also keep my head on straight. 

7. Do you ever like to binge-watch a period drama series?

Umm duh! Who doesn't? I remember spending a Sunday afternoon binge watching Pride and Prejudice (1995) one and it was AMAZING!!! 

8. What things go best with watching a period drama?

I think someone to watch it with. I grew up watching period dramas with my whole family but now I mostly watch them with my mom and sisters. And I'm now slowly but surely introducing my husband to them. Besides that though popcorn and some tea are also perfect ingredients. 

9. Which period drama do you think you would fit into best?

Hmm... so many to chose from! Maybe Call the Midwife because I'm a nurse and it's always been my dream (though I don't do so currently) to be an OB nurse or a midwife. 

10. If you could have any period drama character for a best friend, who would it be? And why?

Anne Shirley I think.... but I'm afraid she might drive me crazy at some point... or perhaps I will drive her crazy with my lack of imagination? Oh dear! 

11. Show us a picture of a period drama costume you wish you could wear in real life.

I love pretty much all of Elizabeth Bennet's and Molly Gibson's wardrobes! 

12. Are there any period dramas you like to watch during a particular season or holiday?

We tend to watch On Moonlight Bay and By the Light of the Silvery Moon around Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

13. Which period drama has your favorite soundtrack?

I love period dramas soundtracks so it's hard to narrow down but when it come down to it, it has to be Pride and Prejudice (1995)! I mean... Brian and I walked down the aisle to it!

14. Dream cast your favorite actor and actress in a period drama of your choosing; tell which parts they would play and why. 

Mansfield Park because there has never been a great version of it! 

Claire Foy would play Fanny Price. 

Dan Stevens I think would play Edmund Bertram. 

That's all of the casting I've thought up so far but I'm really really hooked on the idea of Claire Foy playing Fanny. She'd be so perfect! And I just realized that one of the other ladies that filled out this tag suggests the same cast! But I didn't realize that until just now! Not trying to be a copycat! Great minds just think alike! ;)

15. Are there any period dramas you like more than one version of?

I like both the 1995 version and 2008 version of Sense and Sensibility.

16. What are the top three period dramas that you haven't seen on your to-watch list?

Good question! Off the top of my head...

1. Belle
2. The Greatest Showman
3. Return to Cranford 

17. Show a picture of your favorite period drama hairstyle.

18. What was your favorite wedding in a period drama? 

Just kidding!
I love all the weddings! I love going to weddings, watching them in movies just give me more weddings!!!! I think my favorite has got to be the wedding in Pride and Prejudice 1995. Look how happy they are!!!!!

19. What is your favorite biographical period drama?

I'm trying to think of which period dramas I've watched were biographical! As far as movies it's been a long time but I remember enjoying Miss Potter and Amazing Grace. TV shows though I love The Crown and Call the Midwife... though of course Call the Midwife isn't biographical really anymore. 

20. Which historical novel will you forever recommend to anyone and everyone?

Coronation of Glory by Deborah Meroff! I love Lady Jane Grey and this is a beautiful book about her. You can't read it and not help but love her too. 

If you love period dramas feel free to grab this tag! 

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Four Things Tag

I saw this tag over at Musings of an Introvert and had to steal it! Also you should go check out that blog cause it's fun!

Four Jobs I've Had

1. Waterer at a nursery (self explanatory)
2. Student worker at my college's library (basically I was a librarian but got paid like a student). 
3. Pig farmer (I'm not sure there's a polite way to explain what I did)
4. Registered Nurse (Basically I save lives)

Four Things I Don't Eat

1. Bell peppers
2. Seafood
3. Super spicy food
4. Cherry pie

Four Places I've Lived

1. Just home sweet home Kansas

Four of my Favorite Foods

Not necessarily in this order... 

1. Chocolate
2. Donuts
3. Tacos
4. Pizza 

Four Movies I've Watched More Than Once

So many! One does not simply watch a movie once. These are the ones I've watched the most though probably. 

1. McClintock
2. Charade 
3. National Treasure
4. The Scarlet Pimpernel 

Four TV Shows I Watch

So many again! These are the one I probably enjoy the most though

1. Doctor Who 
2. Stargate: Atlantis
3. Call the Midwife 
4. Leverage 

Four Things I'm Looking Forward to This Year (In 2018)

1. April and my little baby girl! 
2. Finishing my Classics Club challenge! 

Four Things I Can't Live Without 

Well there's only one thing that I can't live without which I listed first but there's a couple other things I'd sure hate to live without. 

1. God's Salvation
2. My husband <3 
3. My parents 
4. My siblings 

Four Places I've Visited 

1. Costa Rica
2. Charlestone, South Carolina
3. Michigan
4. Minnesota 

Four Pet Peeves

1. Cold hands

Four Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Have this baby be full term and birth it now! 
2. Sing well
3. Read all the books! 
4. Be a better housekeeper... working on it! 

Four Subjects I Studied at School 

1. Too many nursing classes 
2. Rock climbing (such a fun class) 
3. Music appreciation (another fun class) 
4. Anatomy and Physiology (So hard but such a life changing class for me)

Four Things Near Me Right Now 

1. My computer
2. My phone
3. My mug of tea
4. My Yeti cup of water 

That was fun! Feel free to steal this tag if you like! 

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20 Questions Book Tag

I saw this on Nut Free Nerd and stole it... cause that's what I do!

1. How many books are too many in a series? I've never thought about this before. I don't think I've ever read a series where I thought to myself "this is getting too long". If a series were getting too long I don't think it would be about the number of books but about the content in them. 
2. How do you feel about cliffhangers? I'm normally fine with them as long as they aren't over the top dramatic and unnecessary. A well done cliffhanger keeps me turning the pages.
3. Hardback or paperback? Growing up my parents motto was that hardback was always better because they held up longer. Now that I'm a book buyer I do tend to buy a majority of paperback books as evidenced by my bookshelves. They are cheaper. However, I know my hardbacks will last longer so when I can I do like to buy hardbacks. The feel of paperbacks does tend to be more comfortable though.... which is of course why they wear out sooner. There's a lot to be said either way. 
4. Favorite book? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. 
5. Least favorite book? Gulliver's Travels... I can't stand it. 
6. Love Triangles, yes or no? I haven't read a lot of books with love triangles and when I did they were never my favorite part. They just don't tend to add anything to the story and become distracting from the real plot.
7. The most recent book you couldn't finish? I don't normally pick up books I'm not going to finish. When I start a book I normally plough through even if I'm hating it, which I know is a waste of my reading time normally but I'm stubborn. So at this time I can't think of anything. 
8. A book you're currently reading? So many! The one I'm most proud of right now though is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I'm inching through it day by day and actually enjoying it. It's going to be a long read though. 
9. Last book you recommended to someone? I'm always so hesitant to recommend books. It's a pride thing probably... I'm afraid they won't like it and judge me for liking it.  Recently though I had a conversation with my cousin, who shares pretty similar reading tastes with me, and I recommended several books to her. I know the first one I recommended because she hadn't read it yet, even though last time I recommended books I told her to, was The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery. So good!!!! Everyone should read it.
10. The oldest book you've read? Besides the Bible, I think from looking it up The Oddyssey by Homer. I had to read that for high school. I get so confused by the stupid BC dates that are going down instead of up! 
11. The newest book you've read? Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, which was published in September of 2016. I don't read a ton of new books. 
12. Favorite author? Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien... that was authorS right? 
13. Buying books or borrowing books? My shelves attest to the fact that I can't resist buying books. But I buy pretty much all of them used! Ideally I should get more from the library and then only buy them if I loved them but that's not what happens. 
14. A book you dislike that everyone seems to love? Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. It's not universally loved but it definitely gets more love that I can comprehend. 
15. Bookmark or dog-ears? Always a bookmark! I've used anything and everything to makeshift as a bookmark rather than have to dog-ear. 
16. A book you can always re-read? Well obviously Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Rings. I'm always getting more out of them overtime through. However, for a little variety.... I would say J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series... I never get tired of it. 
17. Can you read while hearing music? As long as it's music without words I'm normally ok but otherwise it can be kind of distracting. 
18. One POV or multiple POVs? I'm ok with either. As long as they're written well the number of POVs should make no difference. 
19. Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days? That depends on the book. At this point in my life I normally don't have the time to sit down and read a book in one sitting but if it's good enough I will make time. I miss the days when I was a kid and would curl up and read book after book. 
20. One book you read because of the cover? I don't think I've read a book because of the cover. I do too much research on each book I read. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this tag! Feel free to steal it as I did and join in the fun.

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My Life in Books Tag

Another tag to steal! I saw this one over at Wonderland Creek and here I am doing it... cause I can.

Find a book for each of your initials

L- Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse 

F- Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

K- Killer Angels by Michael Shaara  

Count your age along your bookshelf... What book is it?

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Pick a book set in your country

I'll go one better... one set (partially) in my state. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. 

Pick a book that represent a destination you'd love to travel to

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen... especially Darbyshire. 

Pick a book that is your favorite color

I love blue and teal. I have a lovely copy of Tolkien's translation of Beowulf that is a gorgeous teal color. 

Which book do you have fondest memories of

Probably reading Brian Jacques's Redwall series. His books have brought me so much joy and comfort throughout my life.

Which book did you have the most difficulty reading

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman... it's poetry and I don't do well with poetry.

Which book on your TBR pile will give you the biggest accomplishment when you read it?

War and Peace by Tolstoy most definitely! To be fair I am currently reading it but it is still most definitely going to give me the biggest accomplishment of my reading life. 

Well that's it! Feel free to steal the tag if you so desire! 

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The Disney Princess Book Tag

Hamlette tagged me in the Disney Princess Book Tag (see her answers HERE)! This is one of those rare times when I was actually tagged in the tag and I didn't just steal it. ;)

1) Snow White: Name your favorite classic

Easy! Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 

2) Cinderella: Name a book that kept you reading well past your bedtime

Recently The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay. I kept reading and reading and it was eleven o clock before I knew it.  I only went to sleep because my husband came to bed and we had a long day the next day (Thanksgiving). So many different books have kept me up at night before... I distinctly remember Agatha Christie's Sleeping Murder keeping me awake. 

3) Aurora: Name your favorite classic romance

Still Pride and Prejudice so I'll have to think up something new... The Scarlet Pimpernel maybe? 

4) Ariel: Name a book that's about sacrifices and fighting for your dreams

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Those women definitely fought hard for their dreams. The answers for this questions and question 9 are interchangeable. 

5) Belle: Name a book with a smart and independent female character

First though is Elizabeth Bennet but I can't keep using Pride and Prejudice! So Emma Wodehouse from Jane Austen's Emma it is! 

6) Jasmime: Name a book with a character that challenged the social conventions of his or her world

Scarlette O'Hara from Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. I do not like her but she definitely challenges the social conventions. 

7) Pocahontas: Name a book with an ending that was a roller coaster of emotions

First thing I thought of was Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay. I was racing through the ending just wanting to know what happened so the emotions would stop emoting! ;) 

8) Mulan: Name a book with a kick-a** female character

Each of the books in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer had some pretty awesome female characters. Scarlette was probably the most kick-a** though actually not one of my favorite characters. And then of course there's Eowyn.... 

9) Tiana: Name a book featuring a hard working, self-made character

Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. So inspiring! Just read it! The answers for this questions and question 4 are interchangeable. 

10) Rapunzel: Name a book that features an artist

I can no think of anything! I'm blanking! Jane Eyre paints. So Jane Eyre it is. 

11) Merida: Name a book that features a mother-daughter relationship

The obvious answer is Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters but they're kind of all terrible mother-daughter relationships. For a good mother-daughter relationship though Little Women for sure. 

12) Anna and Elsa: Name a book that features a great relationship between siblings

Pride and Prejudice's Jane and Elizabeth... but I can't use that again.... so.... Little Women.... but I can't use that again... so....

Here's a few books I can think of with great sibling relationships: Harry Potter series (specifically thinking of the Weasley family), Hardy Boys, the Little House in the Big Woods series, and The Viking Quest series. I love good family relationships in books. :)

Hope you enjoyed this fun tag and feel free to steal it!   

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Location Book Tag

I saw this tag over at Nut Free Nerd and had to steal it.

1. You’re sat in a coffee shop trying to read when a group of excited six year olds come in with their parents and begin screaming in the play area. Which book can you push past the noise and lose yourself in?
Really about any book as long as I'm enjoying it.

2. Your (rich) friends dare you to spend the night in a haunted house for an undisclosed but inevitably large sum of money. Which book do you bring to distract yourself with?
A children's book I think. Something light and funny to keep me distracted. Mad Scientist Club, Wizard of Oz, Phantom Tollbooth all come to mind.

3. Though the landscapes are beautiful, your delayed train journey is starting to drag. Which book do you take out?
Lord of the Rings. It's long enough for several train trips.

4. It’s beach time! You have your family and friends around you and don’t want to miss out on the conversation too much but still want to read. Which book do you choose?
I'm bad at trying to follow a conversation and read. Tuning people out I can do but if I'm trying to do both that's a disaster. I'm a terrible multitasker.

5. You’re backstage ready for your big emotional scene but the tears just won’t come. Which book do you get out to make you cry?
Right now with being pregnant a lot of things can make me emotional. Normally it would take a very special book to do the trick but currently I'm vulnerable. Probably something romantic will do the trick though. When I read Dear Mr. Knightley a couple months ago it made me tear up.

6. You’re camping in the woods with your friends and you’re the first to wake up. Which book do you read under the early morning light?
Wind in the Willows. The description is beautiful and I think it would be perfect out in the wild in the early morning light.

7. You’ve had an amazing day on your solo trip but now that you’re back at the hotel, you’re starting to feel a little homesick. What do you read to feel less lonely?
Anne of Green Gables maybe?

8. You’ve been invited for an interview for a place at a prestigious university. Which book do you lay flat on your knee to hide the cover while you wait?
I'm not really embarrassed by anything I read but if I had a younger book I would feel a bit childish reading it if I were interviewing for a place at a prestigious university.

9. The book exchange stall at the library finally has the book you’ve wanted for so long, and you have a book in your bag that you’ve been dying to get rid of. Which do you give away, and which do you take?Most books I've been dying to get I have now. Currently though I'd really like to try out a Lynn Austin book, l specifically Wonderland Creek, to see what all the fuss is about so if I saw it I'd definitely grab it. To get rid of though definitely either The Sound and the Fury or Leaves of Grass. I disliked both and I regret that I bought them... though I spent very little on them.

10. You were just browsing the children’s section of the library and boom, you’re hit with a sudden blast from the past. Which book have you found that you haven’t seen for years but that you used to love as a child?
Hmm. Maybe Wolves of Willoughby Chase? That was a dear favorite as a child. I also read Beauty a lot. Either of those would fill me with nostalgia. But pretty much any children's books gives me nostalgia. I'm just a nostalgia maniac!

Fun tag! Feel free to steal it if you so desire. That's what I do. ;)

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Finally Fall Book Tag

Once again I'm stealing a tag because I can. I saw this over at Coffee, Classics and Craziness and at Edge of the Precipice and it looked like fun! It's actually feeling like fall here in Kansas now. We had a hot September but just in these last couple weeks, really since October started, it's started to cool down. I do like fall but it seemed like such a dramatic change from hot to crisp that I'm still pouting a little about it all. The pouting is partially fueled by the fact that my husband likes to leave the windows open all of the time so the house is colder than I'd like it. Thank goodness for fleece Batman pajamas. It does feel like the perfect time though to be curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea though so I'm hoping this will fuel some more reading in my life. Unfortunately I also desperately need to get my continuing education completed to renew my nursing listen coming up in just a few months. I'm well underway but I need to get it all wrapped up. Work before play and all of that you know.
Anyways, back to the tag!

1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting!

My first though is the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. His books truly painted pictures with words. I could see the scenery and taste the food he described. And now I want to re-read all of his books so badly!!!! 

2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.

I'm stealing Eva's answer but it's so good! Definitely The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. How it deals with death is beautiful and unique and I love it.

3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.

So many!  I don't read a lot of non-fiction but I love the ones I do get around to. The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer was very influential on me a few years ago. I liked Quiet by Susan Caine. I'm not sure if Hidden Figures is considered non-fiction or historical fiction but that definitely taught me something new. There's so many theological books I've read that have taught me so much.... John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion and Arthur Pink's The Sovereignty of God pop to mind. I'm reading John Owen's The Mortification of Sin right now and it's challenging me a lot. As I said... so many!

4. In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of.

The Weasley family! I love them dearly.

5. The colorful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-colored spines!

6. Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.

The first book I thought of was The Book Thief but I've already used that so I'll go with The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

7. The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read.

Dracula by Bram Stoker was my creepiest read so far I think. I read it last year and LOVED it! So different than what I was expecting. I've also read some pretty creepy Dean Koontz books but Dracula is what really stands out to me right now.

8. The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.

First book that comes to my mind is Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I'm not sure why but it did. Children's books tend to warm my heart and that series is pretty much always guaranteed to.

9. Fall returns every year: name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon.

I've already mentioned Brian Jacques' Redwall series but besides that I've been thinking about the J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series because I've been rewatching the movies with my husband. I've also been wanting to re-read A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and Richard Adams' Watership Down.

10. Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: share your favorite cozy reading “accessories”!

A cup of hot tea and a warm blanket. 

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The "100 Books the BBC Think Most People Haven't Read More than 6 of" Tag

I've seen this fun tag on a few different blogs and naturally had to steal it!
Basically this is a list of books that the BBC thinks most people haven't read more than six of.
Us book lovers are proving them on! 

The rules say to put an Asterix by the ones you've read but those are so hard to see so I'll just bold the ones I've read.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 
2. Gormenghast Trilogy - Mervyn Peake
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë 
4. Temple of the Golden Pavilion - Yukio Mishima
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 
6. The Story of the Eye - George Bataille
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë 
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. Adrift on the Nile - Naguib Mahfouz
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 
11. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott 
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Rhinoceros - Eugene Ionesco
15. Baron in the Trees - Italo Calvino
16. The Master of Go - Yasunari Kawabata
17. Woman in the Dunes - Abe Kobo
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Feast of the Goat - Mario Vargas Llosa
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot 
21. Gogol's Wife - Tomasso Landolfi
22. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald 
23. Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. Ferdydurke - Gombrowicz
26. Narcissus and Goldmund - Herman Hesse
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. The Jungle - Upton Sinclair
33. Tom Sawyer / Huck Finn - Mark Twain 
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe 
36. Delta Wedding - Eudora Welty
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Naomi - Junichiro Tanizaki
39. Cosmicomics - Italo Calvino
40. The Joke - Milan Kundera
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. Labyrinths - Gorge Luis Borges
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. Under My Skin - Doris Lessing
46. Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. Don Quixote - Miguel Cervantes
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding 
50. Absalom Absalom - William Faulkner
51. Beloved - Toni Morrison
52. The Flounder - Gunther Grass
53. Dead Souls - Nikolai Gogol
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen 
55. My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk
56. A Dolls House - Henrik Ibsen *
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens 
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoevesky
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck 
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman 
64. Death on the Installment Plan - Celine
65. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas 
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker 
73. The Metamorphosis - Kafka
74. Epitaph of a Small Winner - Machado De Assis
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Inferno - Dante
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome 
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. To the Light House - Virginia Woolf
80. Disgrace - John Maxwell Coetzee
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens 
82. Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Box Man - Abe Kobo
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert 
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. The Stranger - Camus
88. Acquainted with the Night - Heinrich Boll
89. Don't Call It Night - Amos Oz
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pychon
94. Memoirs of Hadrian - Marguerite Yourcenar
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare 
99. Faust - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
100. Metamorphosis - Ovid

And a total of 35 books! Take that BBC!!!! Many of these are on my to be read list also so I'll have even more read in the years to come.

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The Four Fictional Characters Tag

Anna from The Blog of Fiorlh has tagged me in the four fictional characters tag.
Rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you (done above)
2. List four fictional characters (use pictures if you want! They can be from movies or books) and, if you like, describe what they're like and why you believe they relate to you
3. Tag a few other blog people! Three, or four, or even twenty. :) Share the fun! Be sure to let them know you've tagged them!

1. Catherine Morland- She's naive, sweet, loves to read and dance. 
   
2. Anne Shirley- Imagination, loves to read, a bit hot headed. 
   
3. Jo March- A love of reading and writing, and as I recall she has many of the qualities and defects I possess. 
   
4. Belle- What can I say? She loves to read and has a quirky dad.  
   

Thank you Anna for tagging me! All others consider yourself tagged! I'm far too lazy to tag. ;) 

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Robin Hood Week Tag Answers

I know I'm supposed to be focused on my wedding right now and not blogging but it's ROBIN HOOD WEEK!!!!!! Go check out the festivities over at Meanwhile in Rivendell!
Olivia has some great questions to kick off the week so here are my answers!

What was your first exposure to Robin Hood? My family grew up watching the 1938 version with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland. It's still a favorite for us. I actually didn't get exposed to the animated Disney film until later though I was still young. I watched it when I visited my uncle and aunt and I loved it so much it was all I would watch the whole time I was there. Needless to say everyone else got quite sick of it. I don't think I've actually seen it since then as my parents don't have it. In retrospect it wasn't that great but still fun. 
On a scale of 1 to 10, how big a fan are you? Hmmmm. Six? I had a phase in my childhood where I read a ton of books about Robin Hood and I've always loved the movie but I know there's plenty of areas in the Robin Hood that I haven't delved into. 
How many versions and spin-offs of the legend have you experienced? I've watched the 1938 film, the animated Disney film, another adaptation that I can't even find on IMDB at this time and then I've read Howard Pyle's and Roger Lancelyn Green's books on him. I think I've read a couple other books but I don't remember authors. I also watched the first season of the BBC show thanks to Olivia begging me to. ;) I enjoyed it but I just haven't made it back to it yet. I really want to watch Robin Hood Men in Tights but I haven't made it there yet either. 
What is your favorite version of Robin Hood (can be book, movie, TV series, anything)? Probably the 1938 film. 
Are you one of the lads? (Meaning, have you watched/are you a fan of the BBC show?) As I said above, I've watched a season and hopefully will make it back for the rest of it in the future. 
Who is your favorite Merry Man? I like Little John a lot and Friar Tuck.  And of course Robin Hood himself is awesome. 
Do you have a favorite portrayal of Lady Marian? I've enjoyed every portrayal of her honestly. No real favorite. 
Do you have any interest in or aptitude at archery? Interest? Yes! I've always wanted to learn archery. Aptitutide? Well... I've never actually tried. 
Fact or fiction -- which do you think? I think there's probably some truth to the legends. How much is fact and how much is fiction I'd be hesitant to say. Regardless, it's a fun story. 
Do you think Robin Hood has been "done to death," or are there still new twists that can be found? In some ways I think it has but I'm also not against remakes as long as it's a fresh perspective and isn't stupid. Is that too much to ask? ;) 

Well there are my answers! Go check out the fun at Meanwhile in Rivindell and join in!
Also, go check out some fun giveaways over at Hamlette's Soliloquy. She's giving away many of the books and movies I mentioned!

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The Book Tag

I've seen this tag awn a few different blogs and naturally had to steal it!

1. What book has been on your shelf the longest? I'm not even sure. Probably my Chronicles of Narnia collection.

2. What is your current read, your last read, and the book you’ll read next? Currently I'm reading Home by Marilynne Robinson. I just finished Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Next I'm not sure. There's another book I need to read for premarital counseling and then once I'm done with Home I'll read the next book in the series Lila.

3. What book did everyone like, but you hated? Gulliver's Travels. HATE IT. And Wutheirng Heights. I guess not everyone likes it but a lot must because it's a classic.

4. What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? At this point I'm really worried I'll never get to War and Peace. I really want to though... but I might not.

5. What book are you saving for retirement? Maybe it should be War and Peace? ;)

6. Last page: read it first, or wait ’til the end? Wait until the end of course! I honestly have a hard time comprehending people that read ahead.

7. Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside? Interesting but let's get to the good stuff!

8. Which book character would you switch places with? Anne Shirley AFTER she came to Green Gables.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (Place, time, person?) I tend to associate every book I read when I was working at the pig farm with the pig farm. More so than anything I've ever read in another location. This especially goes for Little Dorrit as not only did I read it there but I watched it there. Our Mutual Friend as well I definitely link strongly to the pig farm.

10. Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way. I can't think of any of my books that I've acquired in an interesting way. I've got them from many random sources: gifts, book sales, giveaways.... stole from my parents. ;)

11. Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person? I've given away a lot of books before... not for a special reason though that I can think of.

12. Which book has been with you most places? Probably my Bible.... I guess. That's what I consistently take with me when I travel. Besides that the books I'm traveling with vary.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad two years later? I enjoyed Ivanhoe a lot more when I re-read it a couple years ago than when I read it back in high school.

14. Used or brand new? If I can get it brand new for a decent price then great! Otherwise I'd rather pay less for a slightly used book.

15. Have you ever read a Dan Brown book? No.

16. Have you ever seen a movie you liked more than the book? Sacrilegious! However, I do kind of like the movie of The Book Thief a little more than the book.

17. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks included? All of Brian Jacques's books made me hungry. How could they not.?Every feast was described with such tantalizing details.

18. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? My dad's.

19. Is there a book out of your comfort zone (e.g., outside your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving? Cinder and the rest in the Lunar Chronicles. I rarely read YA novels and sci-fi fairy tales aren't something I read normally either. ;)


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A-Z Book Tag

I saw this tag over at A Spoonful of Happy Endings and had to do it!

Author you've read the most books from Agatha Christie.... she wrote a lot of books and I've read them all. 
Best sequel ever Hmmm.... Love The Two Towers, love the Harry Potter sequels and love the Anne of Green Gables sequels. 
Currently reading A lot but I'll just highlight one... Catching Foxes by John Henderson
Drink of choice while reading Water, hot chocolate or tea. E-reader or physical book Physical book though I do like my kindle and ebooks are growing on me.

Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school Henry Tilney hands down. He makes me laugh but isn't afraid to challenge me. 
Glad you gave this book a chance Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Heard lots of hype about it but never read the series until just last year.
Hidden gem book Coronation of Glory: The Story of Lady Jane Grey by Deborah Meroff. If you like historical fiction you'll love this beautiful and historically accurate look at the life of Lady Jane Grey. Important moment in your reading life I don't even know where to begin. I don't even really remember first learning to read very well. I have hazy recollections. I was pretty young. Obviously though that was very important. Every time I've read Lord of the Rings has been important as well as Pride and Prejudice. Those two books are my favorite and every time I read them I get more out of them. I'll never get tired of them and they'll never stop being important to me.  Just finished Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Kind of books you won't read I'll try most anything at least once except erotica obviously. I don't really read horror but that's just because I haven't yet bothered to pick one up. It's not off the table yet.  Longest book you've read Having to check Goodreads for the answer to this... and the answer is The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. That is a compilation but I really did read it all in one big hefty book. So besides a compilation book the answer would be Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. 
Major book hangover because of... Weird term... I'm not sure how to answer that. Number of bookcases you own I own one regular bookshelf. I have my spinning bookshelf. I also just recently got a bookshelf for free second hand but I went ahead and moved it into Brian's house since it didn't make sense to move it into my house and then move it into his house in just a month or so. 
One book you have read multiple times Pride and Prejudice, Lord of the Rings, Coronation of Glory, This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness, Harry Potter series Preferred place to read In my bed, on the couch... anywhere comfy.  Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."  Reading regret I regret reading some books... Gulliver's Travels, Leaves of Grass, The Sound and the Fury, Beloved, The Austen Project's Northanger Abbey Series you started and need to finish (all books are out in series) The Wingfeather Saga... I still need to read the last book The Warden and the Wolf King Three of your all-time favourite books Pride and Prejudice, The Lord of the Rings and Leave it to Psmith if I have to chose. Unapologetic fangirl for... I'm an unapologetic fangirl for whatever books love. Especially Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Rings though. Very excited for this release more than all the others The next book in N.D. Wilson's Outlaws of Time series.  Worst bookish habit Reading multiple books at a time.  X marks the spot: start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book Most all of my books are off my shelf right now because I boxed them up and sent them to Brian's.  :(
Your latest book purchase Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late) I stayed up pretty late to finish up Gilead last week. 
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