Thicker Than Blood winner

The winner of Thicker Than Blood, selected by random.org is: #44 - Jen Unsell

Congratulations, Jen! I'll be e-mailing you shortly for your contact information.

For those of you who didn't win, I hope you'll be encouraged to locate a copy of this book to read for yourself!

Thank you all!

L.M. Montgomery Challenge, Conclusion (for 2010 at any rate)

Wrapping up the second year of the L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge which I think has been fun and interesting. (I hope you've thought so too.) I'll try to keep this brief because I have a few things I want to hit in this post.

First off, thanks to all who participated! I have enjoyed reading your posts and seeing what you all think of of the books that you've chosen to read. I'll write up another post linking to all of your reviews tomorrow, but in the meantime, if you want to find out who read what, go to the START POST (click on that link) and scroll through the comments. (I'll make it easier for you tomorrow, I promise!) Visit around. Most of you have been reading the same thing so you can share your thoughts with one another. * DO NOT LEAVE YOUR LINKS TO YOUR REVIEWS ON THIS POST. LEAVE THEM ON THE START POST! YOU HAVE UNTIL THE END OF TODAY TO GET YOUR LINK IN!!!

Next, I'd really like to get your opinion on what I can do to improve the challenge next year. I received one comment that said that they didn't think a month was long enough. Thoughts on that? Personally, I'm rather of the mindset that Montgomery's writing style is fairly consistent. I absolutely love it (don't misinterpret) but reading just a couple of her books every year makes me feel content. But I'm open for changes that y'all would like to see happen. My primary questions are as follows:

1. Do you like the length of the L.M. Montgomery Challenge or would you suggest a change in time frame (and, if so, to what)?

2. How can I better help you find a book of Montgomery's that is suitable to you (if I can possibly do that at all)?

3. Is there something that you would have liked to see happen during the challenge (here or for yourself) that didn't?

4. Any suggestions at all? More motivational prizes (like an all-expense paid trip to PEI perhaps?!) or the like?

I'd love to hear what you have to suggest! I want this to be as fun and enjoyable an experience as possible for all of us! As Dr. Frasier Crane says, "I'm listening." So talk!


***I intend to announce the winner of the locket tomorrow in the post of links to your reviews. This is your last reminder to link up!***

Friday Five Favs

In case you missed the memo, Susanne over at Living to Tell the Story holds this weekly meme in which we are encouraged to list five things that we are especially grateful for, or were amused by, or generally feel blessed with over the course of the past week.

Our week was interesting in that we had a little stomach bug come and pay the entire household a visit. (And so I once again note the benefits of setting my blog to publish!) But in the midst of it, these are the things we've become grateful for:

1. The ability to eat normally. (You don't realize what a blessing that is until you can't!)

2. The ability to sleep uninterrupted. Oh yes. Blessed, blessed sleep!

3. That we live in the time period in history that we do:



4. That movies like this were made:



It's been YEARS since either Jonathan or I had seen it. We showed it to Bookworm1 one evening while we were all bonding on the couch, snacking on ice chips. He sat through the whole thing in rapt attention! (Well, he got a little bored after the intermission but became interested once again once I told him that the Nazi soldiers ("the very bad, bad soldiers") were coming to try to capture the children. I hope I didn't give him nightmares. I don't think I did. Mostly he was just curious as to whether or not the soldiers had swords (because, of course, all soldiers do!). At any rate, for a 3 1/2 year old, he showed a lot of interest in the movie. His favorite part? "The goat part." (Puppets, you know.)

5. For life-sustaining sustenance:




(The book arrived mid-week which has been anticipated and provided some fun distraction. The graham crackers? Well, they are the reason I'm still here.)

Looking forward to spices on my food again,

Carrie

Snippets

I have a few YA reads and books laying around that I'm getting to in no particular order, as well as a book I am reading through slowly and so I thought I'd just "lump" today.

It's random but it's what I've got!

I had heard of The Family Under the Bridge a time or two and then Amy at Hope is in the word reviewed it at the beginning of December. Her review is much better than anything I could probably write up and I see no need to duplicate. If you'd like to find out the storyline of this book, (and learn a fun fact about Amy at the same time!) then go read Amy's review. I found a copy of this at Goodwill for a whopping $0.99 and snatched it up to read on her recommendation.

I found this book to be every bit as sweet and charming as she did and throw my recommendation alongside hers, for what it's worth. Favorite quote is as follows:

One of the wandering gypsy children are talking to the homeless Calcet children about their very red hair.

"Your clothes look so sad," said a gypsy girl, "but you have happy hair."

Since my hair was bright red when I was young (and has now turned into a "real handsome auburn") and because my favorite character is Anne, I liked the 'happy hair' remark.

I'm quite content to welcome this story into our family home library and I anticipate reading it regularly around Christmas time. It has such a Hallmark-y feel to it. Well, I liked it anyway! Thanks, Amy, for the nudge!

*****

I've read the first three chapters of Seasons of a Mother's Heart as part of a mother's study group. I've read only one other book by Sally Clarkson but recently read her daughter Sarah's book, Read for the Heart. Apparently in the Clarkson case the daughter is following in the mother's footsteps, which is a fun thing to see and experience as I read their books.

I have to confess that the thing that just drives me nuts about Seasons is that it is branded as being geared towards home schooling mothers. I'd like to take a dark, black permanent marker and every time she says "home school" I'd just cross it out. Then the book would be relevant for moms everywhere, which I believe it is. (You just have to get past the fact that she's focused on the home schooling mother - but then I know that has huge appeal to, well, home schooling mothers.) I say that, by the way, having every intention of home schooling our own children. It's just too selective for me and I think what she has to share is beneficial to a much wider audience. Unfortunately, many may choose to bypass this book because the branding label that was used on it. You probably shouldn't.

One of the things that I have been been most impressed with by this book (so far) is the following statement:

". . . contentedness seems to be an illusive ideal. For many it seems that there is always something out there, just beyond their grasp, that they cannot have but which they believe will fulfill them and make them happy if they could somehow get their hands on it. But they can't, and their failure to do so leaves them feeling anxious, empty, and depleted. And so they live in the shadow of unfulfilled expectations of how their lives could or should be.

. . .

The only way to attain true contentment is to rest in God and depend upon His grace." (Chapter 1, page 37)

As a person, I like things manageable and easy. Some of you are probably aware of what I've become aware of in the last four years-ish. Children are unpredictable and do not make for a manageable life. They are constantly changing. Their sleep schedule is always about 1/2 hour off of where you want it to be and they aren't quite as excited about being potty trained as you might otherwise appreciate (and sometimes, if the prize is right, they are TOO eager to be potty trained and you end up in the bathroom for hours on end in hopeful anticipation!). It's easy for me to think ahead to when they don't need my constant attention and I feel moderately ok about the idea of wearing white clothing items again.

It was just the other day that I actually felt the first pang in my heart that told me that they wouldn't be this age forever. This time in life is fleeting and meant to be enjoyed. Even when the diapers refuse to be filled with anything but poop and the mere idea of nap time reduces us to a puddle of tears (his, not mine).

I'm working on enjoying the little moments, the dirty moments, the sad moments and the ecstatically happy ones and being content in the "springtime" of motherhood.

*****

On the subject of parenting, I also read and wrote a review of Gospel-Powered Parenting over at 5 Minutes for Books. If you missed it, you'll have to travel over there to see it.

I enjoyed the book very much. Jonathan and I both read it. I would say that there was nothing earth shattering about the book and at the same time, there is everything earth shattering about it.

*****

Lastly, and on a different note, I recently read through and reviewed Brainiac's Secret Agent Activity Book as part of the Children's Classics Mystery Challenge over at 5 Minutes for Books. A more awesome book for wanna-be detectives I think you'd be hard pressed to find. At any rate, I'm reliving my childhood to some extend and we have a giveaway copy of the book. To read my review of Brainiac's Secret Agent Activity book and to win a copy, visit 5 Minutes for Books.


In the meantime, I'm getting back to (said in a deep and foreboding voice) Cherry Ames and the Mystery in the Doctors Office. (Bwaaah hahahahaha!)

Anne of the Island

****AS A NOTE OF REMINDER: The L.M. Montgomery Challenge, 2010, concludes this coming Sunday (the 31st). You need to make sure that all of your posts about Anne are linked up to the START POST! (Click on that link.) If you posted a review comment on any other post, it will not be included in the contest for the locket. I'll be selecting a winner from that particular post.****

If you are skipping my review because of a "spoiler" make sure you catch the links to other people's posts about this challenge below.


I finished reading Anne of the Island the other day and, while it's not my favorite in the whole series, it isn't my least favorite either. (My least favorite is Anne of Windy Poplars which I am trying to work my way through at the present moment.)

Reasons I like Anne of the Island:

1. Anne's world expands once again. It starts out small, at Green Gables, then encompasses her community (Anne of Avonlea) and then takes her to Redmond where she begins her years at college. As Anne's world grows, so does she.

2. Anne makes a new home at Patty's Place with three other girls who are fun and jolly.

3. Montgomery introduces her love of cats into the series in Anne of the Island which I consider quintessential Montgomery and so I'm glad that they are in there.

4. Gilbert.

Reasons I do not like Anne of the Island:

1. Anne's new friends lack the Diana quality. As Anne grows up, she realizes more and more that she can't hold on to the way things are. Things are always changing. She regrets it and yet she moves into it. But I have a hard time letting go of the past and of Diana. Diana's not gone exactly. She just gets married and starts moving in a different direction than Anne and so their ways begin to naturally part.

2. Anne starts calling everyone "dear." All her girlfriends are referred to as "dear." I HATE it when people address me with that term of endearment. I realize to some, pretty words like "dear" and "darling" etc. sounds dreadfully sincere. "Yes, dear, I would love to go out for a walk in the park." But to me, overuse of the word just makes it downright annoying and it's hard for me to take people seriously who dole out pet names right and left. Somehow it cheapens a relationship for me and makes me feel put down. (Maybe this makes sense to you and maybe it does not.) It feels -- patronizing is, I guess, what I'm trying to say. Don't ever call me "dear" please. I just hate that. And I wish Anne didn't give in to the urge. She'd have sounded more forthright and believable if she hadn't stooped. I don't know why Montgomery did that to Anne. Maud doesn't really strike me as the type who would go around "dear-ing" everyone to death. But for some reason - she did it with Anne and I find this mortifying and regrettable.

With all of that said, I liked addressing Anne of Avonlea by digging through quotes and I thought I'd do something similar with Anne of the Island. Here are a few quotes that really stuck out to me:

Marilla is cleaning out the old guest room so that Rachel Lynde can move into it. Anne is relaying to Diana what changes came over the room as Marilla cleaned it out:

"'So passes the glory of the world,'" concluded Anne, with a laugh in which there was a little note of regret. It is never pleasant to have our old shrines desecrated, even when we have outgrown them." (Chapter 1, Anne of the Island)

As humans, we're made to relate to one another and one of the ways we do that is through places and things. It's hard to see changes happen to the things and places we love in as much as it is hard to witness change in people themselves. It's humanity. It's beautiful. I like this poignant truth that Montgomery includes in her tale.

Now for two "LOL's" if you will:

Mrs. Lynde talking about the new minister:

"The one we have now is the worst of the lot. He mostly takes a text and preaches about something else. And he says he doesn't believe all the heathen will be eternally lost. The idea! If they won't all the money we've been giving to Foreign Missions will be clean wasted, that's what!" (Chapter 5)

Diana relates a story to Anne about dreadful Aunt Atossa:

"One time they had a minister in Spencervale who was a very good, spiritual man but very deaf. He couldn't hear any ordinary conversation at all. Well, they used to have a prayer meeting on Sunday evenings, and all the church members present would get up and pray in turn, or say a few words on some Bible verse. But one evening Aunt Atossa bounced up. She didn't either pray or preach. Instead, she lit into everybody else in the church and gave them a fearful raking down, calling them right out by name and telling them how they all had behaved, and casting up all the quarrels and scandals of the past ten years. Finally she wound up by saying that she was disgusted with Spencervale church and she never meant to darken its door again, and she hoped a fearful judgment would come upon it. Then she sad down out of breath, and the minister, who hadn't heard a word she said, immediately remarked, in a very devout voice, 'Amen! The Lord grant our dear sister's prayer!' (Chapter 11)

And lastly, on an interesting note, Anne is talking to Diana about writing a story and says the following:

"I'd like it to end unhappily, because that would be so much more romantic. But I understand editors have a prejudice against sad endings. I heard Professor Hamilton say once that nobody but a genius should try to write an unhappy ending.
And, "concluded Anne modestly, "I'm anything but a genius." (Chapter 12)

I know from reading about Montgomery's own life and opinion of the Anne-girl that she wanted to write unhappy endings every once in awhile. She also did NOT want to write as much about Anne as she ended up doing. But the public and editors demanded Anne and happiness and so Montgomery wrote it out that way for the masses. I, personally, enjoy the happy endings but I wonder if Lucy questioned her own abilities or was needling her editor with that particular quote.

The most admirable character in this book, in my opinion, is Gilbert. I won't copy out a kabillion quotes for you but I like the fact that Gilbert was a friendly guy, a hard worker, loyal and fun-loving and only ever had eyes for one girl with red hair and gray eyes. He's not the cad that you can't like and it's not so full of himself that he doesn't need you in the picture either. He's just happy. And sincere. And I like that. Even as Anne fumbles about, he remains steady and true and so, for my part, I think the winning character in Anne of the Island is not the title character, but the one who supports her in everything.

****

A few other reviews to check out:

Stephanie's Mommy Brain re-read Anne of Green Gables and didn't like her so much (as she used to). Sigh. (I forgave her, btw, and we've made up in e-mail land - ha!)

Abi and her daughter are reading Emily of New Moon together (so go egg them on so that Emily gets some air time around here)!

An Almost Unschooling Mom made PUFFED SLEEVES with her daughters! (You've got to go check out their craft!) I love it!!!

A Warrior Prince for God

When I saw this new release (1/2010) from Harvest House Publishers, A Warrior Prince for God, I had to track it down. Billed as dealing with fear and talking about courage, I knew it was for us. We've been talking a lot about being courageous around here, and not giving into fear when we come up against things that might give us the willies. Bookworm1 isn't scared of very much and then we're very aware of what he is exposed to and when. We want to protect his heart and his mind, introducing him to things at a pace which is suitable to his maturity level. We want to be certain that we're taking age-appropriate steps to bring him to an understanding of what the world around him is like and what issues one must face in life. We answer his questions when he asks them and we let him be all of glorious THREE for the time being!

One of the things we've been doing to this end is memorizing and repeating a lot scripture, trying to meet the issue of fear head on.

For example:

"Do not be afraid or dismayed - for the Lord Your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

God is with us:

* When we see shadows
* When we hear funny noises
* When the dog next door barks and runs towards us in gleeful ignorance
* When we meet people we don't know very well.

In A Warrior Prince for God we meet young Luke, who is a part of the Warriors baseball team. But, as his coach says, they aren't just a team called the Warriors - they really ARE mighty warriors for God.

This book is a beginning chapter book and probably best suited for ages four to eight. That said, my three and a half year old listens to this book in rapt attention. Luke invites his friends and a few other fellow teammates over for a camp out and that night he dreams a dream about a battle he has against a snake named Drakon. Drakon hisses the most ingenious lies to young Luke as he tries to stand up against this foul creature. While fighting the battle against Drakon, Luke is also challenged to stand up for his friends who do not show signs of sharing the same convictions as himself. Yet Luke protects and defends his companions from the evil Drakon. (I should also mention that Luke has a sidekick of a dog named Burpie which I think probably could have had a better name but oh well. I'm willing to overlook that.)

A Warrior Prince for God is probably a little Pilgrim's Progress, rolled into a little bit of Narnia, throwing in a mention of David and Goliath with plenty of analogies to be made between Drakon on the serpant in the Garden of Eden. Bookworm1 loves it and I'm pleased with it also. He has requested multiple re-reads of the "battle against the snake."

The message of the book is clear and strong: we can be courageous and stand strong in the Lord and need not give in to fear.

The crux of the issue (for me) is this: we can walk in God-confidence even from a young age, not allowing our imaginations to trick us and not to run away from things that might look scary on the surface, but upon further inspection turn out to be mere shadows on the wall.

God does not give us a Spirit of fear, after all, but of power, love and a strong mind (2 Tim. 1:7). To that end, I have nothing but nice things to say about A Warrior Prince for God as it upholds this message of truth. It is an action/adventure story sure to please young men-in-training. I appreciate it very much.

~*~*~*~*~

If you like the concept, you'll be happy to note that there is a A Warrior Prince for God Activity Book set to be released in May, 2010.

Thanks, Harvest House, for giving us the opportunity to check out this great resource!

What's On Your Nightstand?

This month my stack is AMAZINGLY PATHETIC. I'd been trying to give myself little bite sized chunks to work with on a monthly basis, using Nightstand as a way to think in baby steps. However, this month I feel like my Nightstand just crumbled under the weight of a kabillion books and I don't even know where to begin picking up the pieces.

Mostly, I've just tried reading a little bit of everything, trying to cover all my bases. Doesn't really help in the sanity department, but at least I'm not drowning. I think.

The DELIGHTS of my reading life are currently the following:




I still feel like I should be reading something other than Anne and mysteries though and so there are books on the fringes but my focus at the moment is on these fine young ladies:



Beyond them, I'm trying to hit the following titles:

Becoming Spiritually Beautiful: Seeing Yourself from God's Perspective

An Experiment in Criticism (Canto)

And I WILL be reading Esther which is part of the Great Lives Series by Charles Swindoll that I've committed to reading during 2010.

Click here to read my review of David, which is the first book in the series and the one I just finished reading.

I'm excited to be reading this series with Jonathan as it gives us plenty to talk about between the two of us and I'm also excited to share it around these parts. I'm really glad to be giving myself a month to read each book in the Great Lives series as it allows for me to take each book in small chunks so that I can better glean and learn.

I have a smattering of other books scattered all over my house but these are the ones screaming for my immediate attention so they'll get the mention on this month's Nighstand.

As a reminder, this past month I read and wrote a review of Thicker Than Blood, by C.J. Darington. There is still time to enter the contest to win a copy for yourself -- and add it to your overflowing nightstand, no doubt! (Ahhh, the beauty of having too many books!)



In the meantime, what are you reading? I'm excited to find out! Link up your What's On Your Nighstand post over at 5 Minutes for Books and join in with us in sharing what has your attention these days.

Winner of David

Sorry I'm a little slow today. However, using Random.org, the winner of winner of David was pronounced to be:

Beth from Weavings!

Congratulations, Beth! Would you mind popping me an e-mail with your contact information? If I haven't heard from you in the next 48 hours, I will select another winner.

Anne Grows Up (and so do I)

I just finished reading Anne of Avonlea and don't feel like writing up a review of it so much as I feel like sharing quotes and insights from it. So I'm going to exercise my rights as a free-lance blogger and do so. (Oh the power!)

I'm also tying this in to a new challenge which is being hosted by my friend Melissa. Melissa is hosting a Word Challenge on her site, Breath of Life. With this challenge she is hoping to raise a conscious awareness of the words that we read, to develop a greater love and knowledge of them. We can quote words from magazines, books, etc., they just have to be something that we've read. So without further ado, I'm going to quote (and then comment) on Anne.



In this book we meet sixteen year old Anne who is beginning her teaching career at the Avonlea schoolhouse. Full of ideals, she sets about winning the hearts of her students (and of Gilbert Blythe) and makes a few special new friends like Ms. Lavender Lewis and Paul Irving. Twins Davy and Dora also show up on the scene. (Here I confess that I cannot STAND Davy Keith. Drives me nuts!) Anne's world has expanded beyond Green Gables and the surrounding trees and flowers and she is now becoming more aware of her community (hence the title of the book). Her friendship with Diana Berry, her 'bosom friend' has blossomed into something deeper and yet does not require as much of her focus. They are dear friends and they know this, but they have grown out of their childish requirements that the other constantly repeat their oaths of loyalty. They just are and I like that about their friendship, even though I miss the fact that Diana is busy in her own world. And I still don't like it when Diana falls in love with Fred. I always feel an inner pang of loss, just like Anne does. Engagements do require some adjustment in all relationships but we always forget that until we're in the middle of one.

At any rate, I said this post was about quotes and not about a review, right? And I have lots and lots of quotes marked off. Let's see where they take us, shall we?

"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people know more . . . though I know that is the noblest ambition . . . but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me . . . to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born."

Now, here is where I do not feel a kinship with Anne. It is wildly true that I am very glad that Anne was born and she has brought delight to my life. But I don't agree with her in thinking that her highest goal is also my own. I'm more of a "you don't need to like me, but I would hope that you could respect me" sort of a person and less of a "I hope I made your life more beautiful" one. That said, I have a friend or two who I am convinced make the world a happier place just because they were born into it and I think everyone would be blessed to know them. We don't all have that gifting, but those like Anne really are a blessing and I merely hope to recognize them when I find them.

Anne of was fond of children and her heart yearned over the Keith twins. The remembrance of her own neglected childhood was very vivid with her still. (Chapter 7)

I love that Anne has obviously taken memories of her own life experiences and chooses to use them to minister to others. It reminds me of the book on grief I read recently that says first you feel misery, then you feel mercy, and then you minister. Anne reflected back on her own parent-less existence and wanted to be able to provide a stable, loving home environment for Davy and Dora. She is a remarkable example of someone who walked through great pain and extended great love. It took time and distance from her situation to be able to do that - but she did it.

"That old nuisance of a Rachel Lynde was here again today, pestering me for a subscription towards buying a carpet for the vestry room," said Mr. Harris wrathfully. "I detest that woman more than anybody I know. She can put a whole sermon, text, comment, and application, into six words, and throw it at you like a brick." (Chapter 9)

Mr. Harrison continues to berate Mrs. Lynde to Anne and throws out some insults and then apologizes for his words, saying that he can't help speaking his own mind - that it's a habit of his. Oh the irony! Anne responds to his criticisms:

"And I don't think it's any help that it's your habit. What would you think of a person who went about sticking pins and needles into people and saying, 'Excuse me, you mustn't mind it . . . it's just a habit I've got.'" You'd think he was crazy, wouldn't you? And as for Mrs. Lynde being a busybody, perhaps she is. But did you tell her she had a very kind heart and always helped the poor, and never said a word when Thomas Cotton stole a crock of butter out of her dairy and told his wife he'd bought it from her? Mrs. Cotton cast it up to her the next time they met that it tasted of turnips and Mrs. Lynde just said she was sorry it had turned out so poorly."

I think I'll not comment on their exchange and let you to personal application on whichever side you fall on. For surely we all fall on some side of it!

"None of us ever do," said Mrs. Allan with a sigh. "But then, Anne, you know what Lowell says, 'Not failure but low aim is a crime.' We must have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed. Life would be a very sorry business without them. With them it's grand and great. Hold fast to your ideals, Anne." (Chapter 15)

I admit to living by ideal a great deal of the time. It's not that I believe I do or ever could live in a perfect world. I just tend to be one of those who thinks that anything is possible. Situations and circumstances may take some devoted study, time and attention, but it's amazing what things can turn out.

I trust that God is always working SOMEthing out for my good and for His glory, even if it doesn't always look like it to me and others. I believe it because He said it. And that's all I've got to go on sometimes. But it's enough.

Moving on, I like Anne's idea of friendship. She is comparing and contrasting a bit here but then she gets to the heart of the matter:

". . . like Gertie Pye's and Julia Bell's [friendship]. They are very intimate and go everywhere together; but Gertie is always saying nasty things of Julia behind her back and everybody thinks she is jealous of her because she is always so pleased when anybody criticizes Julia. I think it is a desecration to call that friendship. If we have friends we should look only for the best in them and give them the best that is in us, don't you think? Then friendship would be the most beautiful thing in the world." (Chapter 15)

Yes, Anne, I DO think so. I do indeed. In fact I don't think it's possible for me to agree more.

"After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those in which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." (Chapter 19)

I think that is also the case. Certainly I love days that are wild with excitement - fun things to do, places to go, people to see. At the same time, I'm learning to enjoy the simple days with just our immediate family, exploring the world together and being at peace. These days I'm finding joy in the quiet moments that are unruffled and undisturbed. There is beauty in these days and I'm learning to find it whether it be a successful potty training session, a book I finally managed to complete, a clean bathroom, an e-mail from a dear friend meant to bolster my spirit, or laughter born of tickle fights. Little pearls.

In conclusion, I know every female (and likely teen aged) romantic must have read this line a thousand times over. I confess that I did! And I dreamed that this would be the case for myself:

"Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into on's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side liek an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath." (Chapter 25)

I still think that passage is lovely and I'm happy to say that another Anne dream of mine came true in marrying Jonathan. Our relationship was first born of friendship (intense dislike ---> cautious friendship ---> definite friendship ----> love).

It's a blessing when love comes that way, that's what!

I love Anne and I love watching her grow up. I feel like I'm growing up at the same time, thinking about the lines, statements and conversations had from an adult perspective as opposed to thinking about them as I did when I was 14 and 15. There is more depth than I saw before. I realize I've only ever liked Anne. But now I love her for the truths she speaks and the dreams she believes in. Anne of Green Gables was a delight to me. Anne of Avonlea is an encouragement.

Sigh. I can't get enough of Anne!

Friday Five Favs (x2)

Well, this past week Katy @ A Few More Pages gave me a lovely bloggy award which I'm posting for you below. The only thing about it is is that you have to mention 10 Honest Things About Yourself and then pass along the award to 10 other bloggers.

I've been meaning to write up a blog post pointing out various bloggers who, in my opinion, are fantastic and whose blogs I very much enjoy following. I could break this up into two weeks for Friday Five Favs but instead I think I'll just double it and hope that it's ok for just this one week?! I'll be more wordy with how much I appreciate the other 10 bloggers, than I will be where it concerns myself. So if you want to find out who delights me through their blogs and who I feel appreciative towards, scroll down past the info about myself. The other people are more interesting anyway!



1. I hate talking about books in person. I don't feel like I do a very good verbalizing my thoughts. I do a much better job writing them out.
2. I am harder on myself than I am on anyone else.
3. I pre-schedule most of my posts around here to publish. I tweak them mercilessly before they actually end up online. (Amazingly, you still see typos!)
4. I miss Chick fil A.
5. I listen to any new music album that I get over and over again until I have it memorized, more or less.
6. I have more books around here than I really know what to do with.
7. I am a total planner. At the same time, there are certain things in life that I HATE to have planned. I confuse myself.
8. I fill the void that Chick fil A has left behind with Starbucks.
9. I love being organized but I hate cleaning house.
10. My favorite easy food to make is taco salad.

Now - for who I follow in bloggy land and why:

1. Stephanie's Mommy Brain - Stephanie is a brutally honest mother of five and I love her for it. Her family has stood with mine in prayer and that makes her more than just a bloggy friend, even though that's what we are. Who knows if we'll have a chance to meet up someday, but I'd certainly like that!

2. I'd also love to spend an afternoon sometime with Amy at Hope is in the Word. I'm thrilled to pieces that she is expecting a new little boy into her home! I love her devotion and dedication both to her family and to others. I just think she's pretty cool stuff.

3. Lisa Writes . . . is my fellow team member at 5 Minutes for Books and that's how we met up. She's a mom to four boys so I feel rather content to just sit at her feet and learn. A more honest and humble blogger you'd be hard pressed to find. She encourages my spirit and she beats me to some really good books sometimes. Lisa will be traveling to Nicaragua for a mission trip in February and I'm excited FOR her as she goes on this journey.

4. My "real life" (actually, that's meant in SO many ways!) friend Sky encourages me through her prayer life in which she prays for her brother, Bowe Bergdahl. It's easy to forget to pray but she faithfully upholds him prayer and that just motivates and inspires me like nobody's business.

5. Barbara H. at Stray Thoughts provides plenty of food for thought. She makes me think about the "why" of what I believe. I love that she opens up her personal life to us on her blog and it's been a joy to watch her family grow and change, celebrate anniversaries, etc. I just really, really enjoy her. (She's actually the motivating reason behind my participating in this Friday Five meme. I kept seeing it on her site and was thinking that it would be a good exercise in thankfulness for me - and that's something I need the motivation to do at times!)

6. My managing editor at 5 Minutes for Books, Jennifer Donovan, is more than just a manager. I mean, we give her some pretty crazy stuff to work with at times but I really enjoy her frank honesty and the life she lives for us on her site, Snapshot. I've loved getting to know her kids. I enjoy Amanda especially (because she's read some books I've recommended and so naturally I think she's an awesome tween and all that). One day maybe Amanda will have her own blog and I will follow it if the invitation is out there. Ha! At any rate, "watching" Jennifer parent and being encouraged by her own actions to be more generous of my time and resources is a good thing. I am inspired by her.

7. Lately, no one has made me laugh harder than Elisabeth at Mildly Amusing Musings. We shot a bridal session with Elisabeth when she was getting married (she has a WAY COOL style!) and now she's expecting her first baby and I'm reliving pregnancy through her (and laughing hysterically because I'm not personally suffering from any of her symptoms). I realize that's cruel but I think she'll forgive me for it. One of her friends said of her that she is a "classy and phenomenal woman" and I really have to agree. I wish her a solid night's sleep tonight.

8. I participated in the Noel Christmas Sister Swap hosted by sisters Carrie and Monica. I follow both of their blogs and find both encouraging and inspiring. Monica at The Homespun Heart has been very motivating and encouraging to me lately to just relax in the beauty of who God is and what He is working in individual lives. Monica is a lover of beauty and a creator of it also! I absolutely LOVE reading her blog for encouragement, inspiration and peaceful, homey feelings.

9. Tim Challies. He's not even an acquaintance but I really love the way the man thinks and encourages other people to think. He doesn't set himself up above others, presenting himself as the Be All, End All of anything. He wants to continue learning and seeking after God but he earnestly and graciously invites other people to journey with him. In doing so, I am inspired to deepen my walk with God - and chose wise books to read to help me to so! Love his blog.

10. Stephanie at Olive Tree makes me think creatively about raising children. She comes up with the coolest ideas for her kids. I love the fact that she is an engaged mom and she uses her talents to bless her kids. Notice: she does not ignore her talents. She utilizes them to bring the most benefit and blessing to her family. Whenever I read her blog, I think about that and how I can use my own gifts and talents to engage with my kids, relate with them and, ultimately, bless them.

Thank you to all of you who put forth "stuff" for me to read, think and chew on long after my Google Reader has been clicked off. I appreciate your efforts and how you bless me and others through what you chose to write.

And with that, I'll close for the week.

Have an awesome weekend!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thicker Than Blood, by C.J. Darlington

I received an e-mail asking if I'd like to participate in a blog tour for a new novel recently released by Tyndale. I read just a little bit about what Thicker than Blood was about and thought it sounded interesting, so I agreed to review the book. I really don't make a habit out of participating in blog tours just for the sake of participating in them. If I'm going to spend time with a book, I want to know that there's a good chance that I'll enjoy it. In this case, I'm glad I said yes because I did enjoy it as a fun, engaging and entertaining story.

Thicker than Blood is primarily the story of Christy Williams who is trying to run away from her messed up life. Essentially, she is trying to find a place where she can belong but where nothing will be required or expected of her. Her past mistakes include running away from her fifteen year old sister immediately after their parents were killed in a car accident, falling in and out of bad relationships and becoming an alcoholic as a result of it all. Christy longs to reconnect with her sister, May, but guilt over her past actions are holding her back.

Boiled down to the basics, this book is a redemption story. Normally a book like this wouldn't necessarily capture my attention but this one did for a variety of reasons. The character of Christy is an antiquarian book buyer. Her sister, May, is part owner of a ranch and is fiercely independent and something of a go-getter. The book includes some pet topics of mine, including issues surrounding abortions. It is a believable story and interesting.

Now, another habit of mine, when I receive a book with a press release attached to it, is to ditch the press release and read the book first. I never pay attention to who the author is or what the publisher thinks of the book. I just want to focus on reading the book for myself so that I can provide an honest assessment based on my own personal opinion.

It was with some surprise that I later picked up the press release for Thicker than Blood and realized that the book's author, C.J. Darlington, is a former home schooled student. She began writing this book at the age of fifteen. Having been home schooled myself, this particular piece of information caught my attention. For me, the fact that she's home schooled is not the selling point of this book. But it does make advertising it more interesting if you point out this fact. How so? Home schoolers frequently are subjected to rounds of questioning as to whether or not they can be successful in society today or whether or not their education can be as effective as a "traditional education" (i.e., an education received in the classroom). I've said before that I don't believe home schooling is for everyone. At the same time, I see it as a very viable and attractive option for schooling. It is nice to be able to point out to people that home schoolers can actually succeed in life. Having a book picked up and published by Tyndale is no small matter and it is something that C.J. Darlington should take delight in.

Even more so though, the greater delight should be taken in writing well and for the glory of God. Delight should be taken in using the creativity one is gifted with and creating something uniquely different for people to enjoy. A writer should also strive to expresses the grandeur of the Giver of such a gift and Darlington does that in this book.

I would say that C.J. Darlington has promise. She has written a compelling tale, made somewhat more interesting to me because of her background, coupled with the subject matter she dealt with. My upbringing was not so very different from hers and if the best advice is to "write about what you know" then Darlington excelled in writing this book. Why? Because she wrote a lot about a lifestyle she didn't personally know but dealt with it in a mature manner that is believable in its expression. I've seen a few unbelievable stories written by conservative home schoolers because it's hard to write believably when you are sidestepping life issues that are tense and unpleasant in nature. I applaud Darlington for not avoiding sin or downplaying it but for writing about it in an honest and straight forward manner. She's still very discrete - don't get me wrong! But she mentions various behaviors that others in her position would have would have been tempted to leave out all together, for convenience sake.

Truly, I think this book is a great accomplishment, speaking as a home schooler who spent most of her life moving in very conservative circles. This book is believably good. So much so that, pardon if you don't understand this, I'd almost not mention C.J. was home schooled. For some, that will send the wrong message. For others, it will send the right one. For my part, I give it a thumbs up and would thank Darlington for giving it her all. It's obvious she did so and therefore I find myself with no qualms at the conclusion of Thicker than Blood. It was a pleasure to read and a pleasure to recommend.

If you are a regular fan of the Christian fiction genre, this is one you are going to like! I can think of no reason why you would not.

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If you have a moment, I would encourage you to visit Christian Book.com to read a very interesting interview with C.J. Darlington. I was going to interview her myself but found this particular interview to be so thorough, I didn't think I could add very much to it! Enjoy!

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THIS POST ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS A GIVEAWAY. THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Imagination: Anne towards God

Yesterday I was talking about Sarah Clarkson's book Read for the Heart (click on title to read "review"). One of the points she makes in this book ties directly into the L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge and it relates to imagination.

The characters that Montgomery created are full of imagination. Anne is especially colorful in this way and, according to Clarkson, that would be one of the reasons she feels like such a complete character. Clarkson argues that having an imagination is a vital part of, not just reading, but our entire life experience. She writes:

"In the past few years I have come to the conclusion that those hours of imagination gave me far more than just good memories. As I have begun writing my first books and done just a bit of speaking, numerous people have asked me what gave me the ability to dream, what drove my desires and shaped my goals.

The answer is simple: God, family and . . . imagination.

Imagination is too often described as a "childish" thing - attributed only to the young, the very creative, or the "artsy" and impractical. But in reality, imagination is a transformative force that is common to all people who dream deeply enough to accomplish something of worth with their lives. At its core, imagination is the ability to envision the future we desire, the force enabling us to pursue a dream whose reality is radically different from the present. We cannot set out on a road of great hopes and determination if we have no concept of what it is we are journeying toward. Imagination drives inspired action." (page 147-148)

I yell out a hearty AMEN to that statement!

These three words belong together:

Imagine. Dream. Do.

They do not work alone. They function best together. Without even a smidgen of imagination, one is not going to be able to develop a dream. Without dreams, what would we ever do? Human beings are created with an inner drive to be creative and to live big lives. Everyone of us has a dream. Some die and that's quite sad. Some can be fostered along and nurtured with books. Why books? Because each and every book has at its core a basic idea and worldview that it wants to communicate to you. Finding the best books with the best ideas to think and talk about can provide your child with big hopes and plans for the future so that they are not content with the status quo but want to go out and "do big things." I think it is vitally important that we read to our children from birth on up, to grow in them a love of reading AND to build within them an encouragement to imagine and to dream.

One of my top ten reasons for loving Anne of Green Gables is that she is imaginative. She also manages to hang on to the magic of imagination throughout her whole life. True, it is tempered to a degree as she grows older, but frequently her imagination launches her into actions which effect her life for the good - because she is a doer. And not many are.

I appreciated the fact that Clarkson impresses upon us the inner need we all have to imagine and dream. Her thoughts rather sum up my own, especially as it relates to my love of Anne. When I read Anne, I start to believe that anything is possible. There are so many truths (as well as untruths) bound up in this book series that cause me to think deeply and desire more out of my own life. I love where Anne takes me and I love who I am when I'm with her. She's a positive literary force and it is people like her who I want to fill my house up with. I don't want to fill my bookshelves with people who can only "harrumph" their way through life, are happy to exist in depressing conditions, who accept the status quo and never dream above it and who do not deeply feel truths. Anne is one of my best friends because she presents a world view that says, "All things are possible." I'll tack on the following scripture for my complete thought:

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

My thoughts are small. I need books to expand them. I need characters to thrill me and push me towards something greater than myself. Reading that pushes me to believe God can do anything is the best that there is. I'm thrilled with it and I want to continue to seek such books out and to provide them for my children so that they too can understand that with God, all things truly are possible.

L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge - Progress Report

Hello ladies,

Y'all are doing an awesome job reading a variety of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I'm delighted to see that Anne is ranking high on everyone's reading lists in 2010. I'm slowly working my way through your posts, but here are what a few of you have been up to. If you get a chance, I'd really encourage you to visit around and see what the others in the challenge are reading and thinking about.

Click on the titles to read the individual reviews of the books:

Amy at Hope is in the Word read Pat of Silver Bush and it's sequel, Mistress Pat.

These ladies have read Anne of Green Gables and I'm linking straight to their reviews:

Almost Unschoolers

Barbara H. at Stray Thoughts

Catherine is reading it for the first time and picked up on a typo which kept her occupied for awhile! (I thought this post was quite awesome!) She also noted the wisdom of Anne and I couldn't agree more!

Amber at the Book Basket read Anne of Avonlea, as did Alex.

Annette read and enjoyed Anne's House of Dreams and I'm envious that she's on that title. That used to be my favorite (when I finally got to it). I remember being ELATED that Anne and Gilbert were finally married. I'm looking forward to reading it again.

As for me - I've completed reading Jane of Lantern Hill, Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea and am working my way through the following book which I just picked up:



Magic Island: The Fictions of L.M. Montgomery

This book chronicles all of Montgomery's novels and puts them into the time line of Montgomery's life. This book is meant to compliment Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings (click on title to read my review) and it gives the background information as to what was going on in LMM's life as she wrote each book. Some parts of me wants to know the "behind-the-scenes" of each book and other parts of me want to forget. So I'm moving through it slowly, but I am appreciating the information.

As a reminder to you all - every time you write up a post related to Anne of Green Gables, come back and leave a comment in the START POST. I'll be choosing the winner for the silver sterling locket from Emma Parker & Co. from that post. Now. Although I do count reviews of the movies, I would seriously consider discounting any post written up about Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story or Anne of Green Gables - A New Beginning. My reasons for doing so would be that neither of these movies seek to abide by the actual writings of Lucy Maud Montgomery and I do my best to pretend that they do not exist. Oh. And the book "Before Green Gables" by Budge Wilson? It totally doesn't count. It's not by Montgomery. (I should have said that at the beginning but part of me thought that was just a given. Those movies and that book disgusts me and I don't mind saying so. Ah hem.)

The deadline for the Reading Challenge is Sunday, January 31st - so you have just about a week and a half left!

Aside from my snippish remarks concerning the non-Montgomery spin-offs, I'm quite delighted with what I've been reading. I've loved reading your posts and I'm looking forward to see how far we all get this year!

Thank you so much for participating and playing along!

Read for the Heart

Oh my! I've been waiting for this book. No really. I've been waiting for somebody to put the words in my head together and put them into a book and for that book to be published. This is that book. I hug it. I love it. It is awesome!

A friend of mine gave me a copy of this book for Christmas and I was thinking it was a lot like The Book Tree (click on title for review) and it is that. However, it is that and so much more. I would say that the differences between Read for the Heart and The Book Tree is that Clarkson shares more of her philosophy behind what she feels is good quality literature and she spreads her thoughts about by book genre. So, for example, in The Book Tree the authors give you their philosophy upfront and the rest of the book is full of suggestions for quality books to read. Read for the Heart is divided up into category by genre with an introduction by Clarkson to each part. She also has a more Montgomery-ish flair to her, so of course I'm going to like that.

Sarah Clarkson says a lot in this book that I agreed with. We had some differences of opinion on particular book titles but you can't agree with people on everything all of the time and I'm feeling magnanimous at the moment.

The very best argument that Clarkson makes in this book, and I know that this is not going to sit pretty with some of you, is against abridged classics or re-writes. It irks me when I see abridged copies of classic pieces of literature because I feel like we're doing ourselves a disservice by not making ourselves work towards deeper understanding of great works. We're such a McDonald's society - give it to us quick and easy. But where is the benefit of watering down the classics in the long run? Instead of calling ourselves to higher standards, we're trying to find the shortcut and the easy way around MASTERPIECES. It's like standing in the Louvre, looking at the Mona Lisa and deciding she's too complicated. So we grab a pencil and draw a stick figure of a lady. Er, we guess it's a lady. The stick figure has long, string-like looking hair. Must be the Mona Lisa. "AH!," we say, "I have gazed upon the Mona Lisa and she is lovely."

But she's a stick figure.

I'm not even going to begin describing the inner emotional turmoil I felt when I laid eyes on an abridged copy of Anne of Green Gables. My word, people!! (Don't admit it to me if you've read it.) It was written in 1908. There are no language barriers or difficulties between then and now. It's practically a children's book story. Where are our limits?

Clarkson, unlike me, doesn't rant though. She just gives you facts in a pretty little way. I know one of the common complaints about classic literature is that the vocabulary gets in the way. Instead of looking up definitions and expanding our vocabulary by learning new words, we'd rather just....not. Clarkson addresses the issue of vocabulary and I offer you this excerpt from Read for the Heart:

On a more spiritual level, the habit of reading influences the ability to think deeply about life-altering ideas of faith and belief. Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, once wrote that the decreasing vocabulary of modern culture would result in an inability to think greatly about God:

"The more limited our language is, the more limited we are; the more limited the literature we give to our children, the more limited their capacity to respond, and therefore, in their turn, to create. The more our vocabulary is controlled, the less we will be able to think for ourselves. We do think in words, and the fewer words we know, the more restricted our thoughts. As our vocabulary expands, so does our power to think."

When we limit our ability to articulate truth about God, we limit our awareness of His presence and power in our lives. An inadequate vocabulary sometimes equals an inadequate comprehension of spiritual reality. God formed our brains to be molded by words.

. . .

A young intellect nourished by a feast of words can tackle any concept -- whether mathematical, scientific, spiritual, or imaginative - with confidence. (pages 20-21)

I think it's downright tragic that we would try to limit our reading experiences with rewrites and abridged versions of classics. Language translations are one thing. I'm not arguing against those, but I do think we could stand to broaden our vocabulary and maybe even preserve what's left of it. We complain when kids don't like to read but would rather spend their time playing video games or watching t.v. and yet we remove challenges that might inspire them. Perhaps if we raised them on a steady diet of good stories and healthy vocabulary, their minds would crave more complex activities and books! (Yes, I am arguing.)

The secret, which is not really a secret, according to Clarkson is to start reading early and then read often. She would argue that we should begin building within our children a love for classics and then gradually introduce the classics to them at an age where they can truly appreciate it. Developing and training child in the habit of reading is one of the greatest gifts a parent/guardian could give to a child. A child who begins reading young develops a taste for it and can tackle bigger and greater reading habits with age. Then, when the child is of an appropriate age, he or she can grab those great classics of the past and not just read them, but ENJOY them for what they are, in all of their original glory! Instead of being scared of great literature, great literature will be their natural choice.

I think we adults, who are always looking for a quick fix, give children the permission that they are looking for to avoid hard things in the book department. Sure, Les Miserables (for example) is a stretch. It's long and tedious in parts. But the reward in having read it? Priceless! There is a richness in it that cannot be substituted by the Claire Danes. It is a masterpiece for a reason so why do we not train ourselves to enjoy it for what it is?

Clarkson also talks about the gift of imagination in this book but I'm going to save that discussion for a separate post.

There is a lot of thought-worthy information in this book and I think it offers some good and valid arguments as to why we need to be reading the best in literature to our children. By offering them the greatest writings that we can, they will learn to seek good writing all on their own. I appreciated her bringing her opinion to the table, as it is, and I feel quite comfortable in recommending this book to others. I'd be hard pressed not to!