Book Review: Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund (3.5 stars, 2014)

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Love Unexpected by Jody HedlundMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThe story takes place in 1859, on Presque Isle, Michigan. With their steamboat under attack by fresh-water pirates, Emma Chamber and her brother Ryan jump overboard into the frigid waters of Lake Huron, praying for a miracle. Neither of them believe strongly in miracles anymore, ever since their mother died of starvation in Ireland and their father...
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The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

Saturday, December 20, 2014

It is a strange thing to finish something that I first fell in love with when I was fourteen. Like almost every other American, I headed to the theater last Wednesday to watch The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. The only problem is that I'm now perplexed. It didn't raise a single tear. I disconnected emotionally from everyone except Bilbo, so when everyone else in the theater is sniffling and...
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Femnista - Nov/Dec Edition 2014: A Family Affair

Thursday, December 4, 2014

It's the season again, both for the delights of the Christmas holiday and for the next issue of Femnista. The theme this time around is A Family Affair and this issue is in fact stocked to the rafters with the goods on various literary and film families we all know and love, or even love to hate depending on where you stand Within these delightful pages you will find the goods on the Baratheons...
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Book to Movie: Thoughts on "Stand by Me" (1986) and the original short story "The Body" by Stephen King



I know what you're thinking. What in the world is she doing reading a Stephen King story? Well, push your eyeballs back in your head and hear me out before you run shrieking from my blog. I have a very . . . liberal approach to literature. I have enjoyed many a story than most Christians make the sign of the cross over. That's just me, it's who I am, and while I'm not swayed by the stories, I do find them an intriguing psychological look at humanity. Know your enemy, so they say, not that I view Stephen King as my enemy, although I'm sure of my readers must disagree on that point.

No, what I'm saying is that I first encountered The Body not through King, but through the film Stand by Me that they based off his short story. I didn't even realize it was one of Stephen King's stories until I reached the end and did some online research. I had no clue. What you're probably wondering now is, what in the world is this story about other than a body? It's literally a coming-of-age story for 4 twelve-year-old boys in the 1960s who go on a trek over Labor Day Weekend to see a dead body. And not just any dead body, but the body of a kid their own age. It's the story of Gordy, Chris, Vern, and Teddy in the prime of their stupendously idiotic youth as they try to figure out who the heck they're becoming when their futures are pretty much already decided for them.

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Book Review: Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn Austin (2014, 4 stars)

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn AustinMy rating: 4 of 5 starsPeople familiar with scripture are most likely also familiar with the story of Esther, how she saved the Jews from being slaughtered by approaching the king when he had not called for her. Keepers of the Covenant approach the story from a different angle, this time through the eyes and experiences of Ezra, a devout man of God from the same...
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Book Review: The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate (2014, 5 stars)

Sunday, November 2, 2014

The Story Keeper by Lisa WingateMy rating: 5 of 5 starsWhen a mysterious manuscript from the forbidden slush mountain arrives on book editor Jen Gibbs' desk in New York, she knows she should put it right back where it obviously came from. That enormous mountain of paper in the conference room is absolutely forbidden to touch, and here she has a piece of it. A significant piece of it as it turns out...
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Murder Rooms Week: A Fandom I Love that Doesn't Get Nearly the Acclaim It Deserves

Friday, October 31, 2014

As you can probably guess, I'm participating, almost late might I add, in a BLOG PARTY for the great miniseries/book series Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes. If you've not heard of it, or if you have, come join me and may you come to love it as much as I do. Do you ever have those moments when a fandom feels like it was only yesterday? When in reality it was 10 years ago?...
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Book Review: The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton (2014)

Sunday, October 12, 2014

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori BentonMy rating: 5 of 5 starsWestern North Carolina, 1787 - Tamsen Littlejohn knows that her life is destined to be aligned with whatever man her stepfather deems suitable, that is, the man who can socially advance him the farthest in society. When her stepfather's latest attempt at matchmaking runs awry, leaving Tamsen with a bitter taste in her mouth as she...
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How do I recognize someone as being an ISFJ?

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

I know I've said it before, but I'm going to go over the cognitive functions of an ISFJ yet again. The ISFJ is comprised of 4 cognitive functions in this order: Si (internal sensing) Fe (external feeling) Ti (internal thinking) Ne (external intuiting) What you all want to know is what do these words mean and how do I recognize them in the people around me, correct...
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Book Review: The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund (2010)

Sunday, September 7, 2014

The Preacher's Bride by Jody HedlundMy rating: 5 of 5 starsElizabeth Whitbread desires to be of profound service to her family, her neighbors, and to her Lord. So when Sister Costin dies soon after the birth of her 4th child, Elizabeth's heart breaks, not only for the babe, but for the husband and three small children left behind. This being a strict, Puritan society during 1650s England, Elizabeth...
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The Steamcups Collection: Botanical, Avianatical Party Favors/Place Cards

Saturday, September 6, 2014

We are now embarking on a new business venture, selling Steampunk items and accessories. You will find our blog/website dedicated to this new business at the link below. At the moment all we have up are these delightful steamcups that my sister, Caitlin, made as party favors. I hope you'll stop on by the new blog, favorite it, whatever, and keep a watch on any and all new posts we add. Obviously,...
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Book Review: With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden (2014)

With Every Breath by Elizabeth CamdenMy rating: 3 of 5 starsIt is the year 1891 and tuberculosis has become one of the major causes of death in America. For doctor/researcher Trevor McDonough, this is unacceptable. Ever since he entered the medical profession, he has pondered and planned ways to defeat this dreadful disease, to the point where he has gained funding for his own research wing of a local...
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Book Review: Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell (2013, 3 stars)

Monday, September 1, 2014

Unrivaled by Siri MitchellMy rating: 3 of 5 starsIn Lucy Kendall's life, all should be perfect, but it's just not. She wants to be involved in her father's candy company, especially now that his health is failing so dreadfully, but he wanted her to have better opportunities, and her mother is most insistent that Lucy become a lady and marry well instead. The notion doesn't seem so bad when she meets...
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Classics Club Spin Read: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948)

Sunday, August 31, 2014

This is actually the very first book I read for my Classics Club challenge. It's delightful to feel that I've gotten started on this project, finally, after 8 months of having no interest in beginning. So it was probably providential that I began with a book I had never read and really had no knowledge about. I not only read the book, but also went out of my way to watch the film adaptation for I...
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Book Review: Fair Play by Deeanne Gist (2014)

Fair Play by Deeanne GistMy rating: 3 of 5 starsDr. Billy Jack Tate isn't your ordinary doctor. In fact, "he" is actually a she, named after two her grandfathers. She has fought and clawed her way up in a profession dominated almost solely by men in 1893, so it is a godsend when she is asked to do the doctoring at the Women's Building at the Chicago World's Fair. Her clientele of patients is almost...
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Remembering Robin

I've started this post so many times in my head and never knew quite what to say. But I figured I needed to get it out before any more time had passed. Robin Williams. Genie. Peter Pan. Mrs. Doubtfire. That crazy dad in RV. The semi-evil musician in August Rush. The professor in Dead Poets Society. And the professor in Flubber. Every time I look back over my life, he's been there, in some form...
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Sunflower Blogger Award - New Round of Questions

Thursday, August 21, 2014

So, I've been nominated yet again for this award, which is so sweet of Hamlette! I think this makes the third, or possibly the fourth time. I love how everyone comes up with new questions that are totally unique from one another. On to the questions!...
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The Classics Club Spin

Monday, August 11, 2014

So, I joined The Classics Club several months ago and have yet to read a single classic. This might be as good a time as any to start. The spin works with me choosing 20 books from My List and labeling them as 1 to 20. I will do as the challenge suggests and pick 5 that I'm reticent to read, 5 that I'm dying to read, 5 that I'm neutral about, and 5 that will be re-reads for me. It seems...
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In Defense of Severus Snape

Thursday, August 7, 2014

I was already an adult when I first experienced the Harry Potter series. My parents were of the same mindset as most Christian families, that Harry Potter was evil and their children needed to be protected from it. I never really minded all that much, apart from missing out on the latest thing that had all the kids my own age salivating. So, when I did finally watch the movies and read the books,...
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Book Review: Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke (2014)

Monday, June 30, 2014

My Rating: 5 of 5 starsIt is the year 1939 and American, albeit German-born, Rachel Kramer visits Germany once again with her adopted father. It is a regular trip, every 2 years, for her to have a harmless check-up from the doctors at the Institute. Even though she is now a full-grown woman, the check-ups must continue and so, reticent though she may be, Rachel agrees to this trip, not having...
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Give yourself permission to pursue your dreams

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Memories shape our lives, sometimes even shape our futures if we let them. When I was in my early twenties, I was completely adrift. I'd graduated from high school, and didn't want to go to college. I talked myself into thinking that I didn't need it, that I could be equally as successful without it. In some cases, it's true that you can be successful without college, but not with me. Despite...
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Book Review: Cloak of the Light by Chuck Black (Wars of the Realm #1)

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Cloak of the Light by Chuck BlackMy rating: 5 of 5 starsFor college boy Drew Carter, the world will never be normal again. When he and his friend Ben begin experimenting with a machine that can help a person perceive the world at faster than the speed of light, Drew sees something he never anticipated, an enormous, malevolent creature who is like a man, but not like a man, all at the same time. When...
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I think it's time to . . . write

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

                              So this is what it feels like to go for over a month without blogging. Weird. I'm not sure if anyone else suffers this fate, but the longer I go without writing, the creakier my style gets. If that's even a word. Creakier....
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An Easter Afternoon Tea

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Left to right: my sister Caitlin, mom Tammy, and me (probably the first time most of you have seen me) I realized that it's been months since I last posted about Afternoon Tea, probably because it's been months since we've really done one on a major scale. I figured there was no better time than Easter to enjoy a lovely tea so this morning we went all out with the preparations. So, my darlings,...
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A Lesson on Transformation from Gandalf and Will Graham

Saturday, April 19, 2014

With this being Holy Week, my thoughts have been focused on transformation for the last several days. Christians undergo a transformation when we're saved. Christ himself underwent a transformation on Resurrection Day, suddenly no longer confined by a physical body and its limitations. Transformation is something that everyone on earth undergoes at some point or another. A tipping point, as it...
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Book Review: Caught in the Middle by Regina Jennings (2014)

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Caught in the Middle by Regina JenningsMy rating: 5 of 5 starsAnne Tillerton, a buffalo hunter who wears men's clothes, finds herself tracking down a runaway cook to Garber, Texas, successfully thwarting a train robbery/murder in the process. What she didn't expect is that she would actually know the man she saved from a lifetime ago. Or that she would end up caring for the cook, Tessa's infant son...
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Book Review: A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert (2014)

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Katie Ganshert's newest novel, A Broken Kind of Beautiful hits stores on April 15th, 2014.Author's Website Read Chapter One  It is the story of Ivy Clark, a ravishingly beautiful young woman of a hard upbringing. She is the daughter of an adulterer and his mistress, and the one thing she always wanted but could never attain was her father's love. Not even the affection lavishing on her every...
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