Child.of.God.1989

I turned nineteen at the end of August. It just tickles me that we have at least sixteen people here my mom and grandma's age! They could impart their diverse love of books on here and be in good company! Ah, the beauty of the internet: with millions of people, there's bound to be a friend with even your detailed interests.

Thanks for the recommendation, PDR. I forgot to mention I read this in March. I did not like the sexual content or the odd questioning of religion, but otherwise it was a warm, immersive read. Have you ever seen The Road to Perdition, guys? I have not, since I was very young when it came out, but I flew through the graphic novel version. Maybe the story is a little cliche to people by now, but for this inexperienced crime fiction reader, I found the story of avenging one's family and speculating on the motives of a cold killer so interesting! The illustrations took so much time. They look so realistic, or even better than real life. For comics, I picked up Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told. At first I checked it out just out of nostalgia from the 1990s dark cartoon, and enthusiasm from Dark Knight, and thinking I would have a chuckle out of the older comics. It turned out to be a great collection! I highly recommend it to those who love and even those who don't know much about the Batman story.

Kylie: I saw one called Nevermore today. It's based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and includes The Raven and several other stories of his. Looked pretty interesting. Nice idea, Kylie! The cover looks a little unsettling, but I would love to see someone's artistic interpetation of those dramatic poems. I'll have to look for this one and others like it. Wouldn't an Emily Dickinson graphic novel be sweet?

Embarrassingly, I have only read what was required in junior high and high school. I read A Tale of Two Cities in eighth grade for advanced English and thought I had a pretty good grasp on it then. My high school English teacher, however, opened up so much more of the cultural background and motives of the characters! Are not Lucie, her father, Charles, and Sydney so memorable? I have only read short versions of A Christmas Carol and seen a couple of plays based on it. I would like to sit and indulge in all the noble language, though. Second on my list to read would be my brother's thick, unopened copy of David Copperfield, because I have heard his aunt is a remarkable character.

This will be pitifully short since I need to do homework. I hope to find some people who have read these or who these authors may strike a chord with! I am currently reading the Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, and White) by Christian suspense author Ted Dekker. I am in the second chapter of White and read it at every opportunity! As you will see by the review excerpts on the books, non-Christian lovers of thrillers like these books, too, like the producer of Xmen-2. I read a little of Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti last month before I had to turn it in. It's a thick book, so I jumped the ship rather than renewing it three times to no avail. It started a little slowly, and some things seem to be used a lot in suspense books today, but I am confident it will grow in exciting turns of events. I want to find out what happens to Fanny Price in Mansfield Park so badly! It's always checked out in the local library. Not whining, just saying I'm going to continue it:).

So, how did I do? Well, out of all the books I checked out, the only one I finished was This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. I read that in my fifteen-minute breaks at the retirement center, and at home eating late-night bowls of cereal, so I finished it by late December. I was able to read the first few chapters of Piercing the Darkness this month, but I might just buy the series rather than check it out again. The Secret Life of Bees did look good from the back of the book and the opening sentences. I will pick it up again, I promise! I've never really read any books from that era. Is the Civil War a very populated genre? I put down Literacy and Longing in L.A. because of some risque content. I certainly would like to find a good novel that nods at classic books, though. Rather than Don't Waste Your Life, I am probably just going to read Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper, a graduation gift from my teachers to all twenty-three in my class. It's short and I won't be pressured for time to finish it. I only read the first couple of pages of The Brothers Karamazov, but in one of my classes last month Dostoevsky was mentioned, so I want to pick it up and maybe some complementary notes too. Nihilism produces some... different thinking. I adhered to my standards about meeting God in the Bible before anything else, though it usually ended up reading my Bible during lunch or breakfast break at McDonald's rather than in the morning. It was a good opportunity to talk with workmates who saw my Bible out. This month I have not had any activity at all. I have been all about ME with my time, and that makes me empty inside! Argh. By next week, hopefully you guys will hear I have been more responsible. I don't want to struggle with this until the end of my life, OR to make too big a deal out of something that just takes a few minutes a day. Thanks for reading such a long post after all the inactivity! I hope your brain is buzzing with good books to read.

Ooh, my grandma (the one who has influenced my reading style greatly) knows all the good places from Lynnwood down to Port Angeles, and even a couple in my town! That's one of my favorite diner meals, too, Echo! I think I'd like to look up a really flavorful recipe for that and hearty tomato soup for dippin'. Is this common in the UK?

Cool! Orthodoxy it is, unless I can find The Man Who Was Thursday. I feel smarter already:blush:. That was such a relief hearing his style is more like Lewis's! I thought it would be really heavy. Thanks for the push, Fishy.

Guys, if you've never read C.S. Lewis's works before, you're missing out on some beautiful (and, at times, amusing) insights! Certainly he isn't the be-all, end-all of example of character and writing, but he's still really intelligent and humble. Here are a few of my favorite quotations from him: * I made that for a close reading buddy. She has read much more C.S. Lewis books - well, much more books period - than I have! * I love pretty much everything he has to say about his dad and his grandpa, "The Great Knock," in Surprised By Joy. His dad bought every book he ever read; that's where Clive Staples's love for reading came. When Lewis went to study and live with his eccentric grandfather, they went on a walk in the big park his grandpa owned. Lewis, a young man trained in English propriety at boarding school, started to make small-talk remarks and questions about the trees and weather. His grandpa abruptly responded with something like, "What are you dithering on about? Talk about things that matter." * Here is another excerpt, along with my thoughts, from Surprised By Joy that anyone who has gone to school will appreciate. * This post on my blog with beautiful moments from Narnia is pretty old. I may have had a little trouble being cohesive than - even more than now, anyway:D. C'mon, what were your guys' favorite moments from The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings? Those are by Inkling authors.

I'd like to see Enchanted because my loved ones and I enjoyed Disney movies so much when we were little. In fact, when their older brother was babysitting my cousins as vocal little four-and-five-year-olds, he broke down and said, "Girls, pick your favorite movie and watch it in your head!" It might be even cheesier than it's meant to be, but I think it's the choice for family movies nonetheless. Also, according to this reliable movie reviews site, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium does really well in conveying a message of love and selflessness to kids in a very fun, magical way. On the note of productions that nod to old fairy tales, my uncle may be directing a production of Into the Woods in July! I'd love to see that!

Anne is such a sweet character! Remember Ms. Montgomery's description of her simply sitting in a room with the sun shining through the window - just smiling at nature? I almost don't want to read the sequels and ruin the magic of seeing her grow up in the first book. Being more of a listener, I'd love to meet someone as talkative as her. ...Eleven. *drinks a glass of milk to wash down humble pie*

I try to read my Bible consistently each morning and night. Right now I'm catching up, but like I said in my reading blog, I've been struggling on and off for five years. So that's one book regularly, though it is not at all a "normal book." (Check out Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 19, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to see what God says His word is like.) I have read a few books at a time since I was in fourth grade. My fifth grade teacher once asked me why I had so many books stacked on my desk (classics like Around the World in Eighty Days adapted for kids), and I said, "Well, Mr. Hehe, I'm reading all these!" There are a few genres I really like, so I usually read, say, a serious devotional and a fast-paced novel or thriller. Again, the only reason I said three+ is that I usually have my Bible and a couple of other books!

I perked up at this review since I just read an approving/moderate review of the new movie. This was very well-written! Thank you for the recommendation, Kell. My reading scope is so small, and only within contemporary and classic American, and classic British literature. I was thinking my first foreign book would be Don Quixote, but this one sounds very sweeping, emotionally speaking!

Good review, Echo! I have quite a few contemporary books on my plate, but this will be my choice after Ben Hur and Quo Vadis for something a little meatier. I read Jane Eyre when I was thirteen and really liked it. My younger brother had to read one of the Bronte sisters' books in the fourth grade. I think it was Portrait of a Lady. Of course, as a normal nine-year-old boy, it was misery for him! Thankfully Journey to the Center of the Earth, Harry Potter, and most recently A Tale of Two Cities warmed his heart ever so slightly to reading.

Thanks for showing us, Michelle! My cousin will flip out when I send her the link. I almost forgot about that book. I guess I'll have to read Deathly Hallows again... I wish there were more copies being published! How valuable, though! I love leather-bound books. My mom bought my brother and me two very pretty journals for our simple English class writing assignments. I try to write and draw only the most beautiful things in there that I can. J.K. did a wondrous job in that book!

Okay, here are the descriptions to aid your decision. - The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis with The Keys to the Chronicles: Unlocking the Symbols of Narnia by Marvin D. Hinten This is a classic series with a companion book looking at the philosophy behind it. I thought her teaching side would come into play since it's a children's series, and her ethics side would also be satisfied since there are such good heroes in it. Maybe you're talking about the discussion of ethics, though... - The Lord of the Rings series with Walking with Frodo by Sarah Arthur (Same reason I chose the first two, although Lord of the Rings isn't really for young children:mrgreen:. I really liked the commentary book, even though I've only read The Hobbit and watched the other three.) - Blankets by Craig Thompson I found this one from our Graphic Novels and Comics thread. You should check it out; there's a link to look at the first few pages! It hooked me. Blankets is a story written by a popular comics artist about falling in love and parental abuse. - Seinlanguage by Jerry Seinfeld Just a bit of lighthearted reading. She might like Seinfeld's observational comedy. It's his popular comedy bits from the early 1990s set to paper. - Running the Race: A Graduate's Guide to Life by R.C. Sproul There is some good stuff about philosophy in here, based on the fact that going into college and the world (like I will, and she probably will) will present lots of new ideas. - So What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour Compares Christianity with world religions - Thr33 by Ted Dekker Thr33 is a fast-paced thriller - I read it in three days, only because I made myself eat meals and help around the house! Interesting look at what would happen when someone gets confused about human nature and morality. - Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti This "horror" (more like suspense-y-thriller-y) writer targeted this book for teens. She'll be intersted by the way the minor characters are sucked into a destructive form of moral relativism.

Hi there, Bill! You seem like you'll fit in wonderfully. I'm sorry about the things your friend has gone through. I am her age, and I can only vaguely imagine the heartache I'd feel if I went through the same things she did. Having someone there for her must be the best thing! Maybe at least one of these will do the trick. First I'll do a condensed list. My descriptions will follow. - The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis with The Keys to the Chronicles: Unlocking the Symbols of Narnia by Marvin D. Hinten - The Lord of the Rings series with Walking with Frodo by Sarah Arthur - Blankets by Craig Thompson - Seinlanguage by Jerry Seinfeld - Running the Race: A Graduate's Guide to Life by R.C. Sproul - So What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour - Thr33 by Ted Dekker - Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti

Hi there, FishandChips! Thanks for the reply. I actually haven't read anything by Chesterton before. I heard of his influence on C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors, in his frank, interesting book Surprised by Joy. After looking Chesterton up, I am excited to brave the heavier language for some good ideas. I hope to bump into my former English teacher tomorrow night at the Christmas program my younger brother is in. Perhaps she - and all of you - can help me decide among Orthodoxy; Charles Dickens; and Graybeards at Play (the poems, like the one on this site, sound very clever!). Thanks again for the input, Andrea! Tell me, what book of C.S. Lewis's do you like the best? Are there any quotations you vividly remember?

Looking at the title of this thread, it's funny that no one even tried to name one all-time favorite movie. Decisions like that are so difficult, with all the good material out there! Here are my top... few:tong:: The Lord of the Rings series, particularly The Return of the King because you are very attached to all the characters by then The Mummy with Brendan Fraiser and Rachel Weisz (if I'm watching it with my brother and/or cousins) Tommy Boy (as you can see, my taste in movies is very developed and somber) Beauty and the Beast Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley - how moving! Wow! I've only seen the first half of the BBC one, which is possibly even better. Maytime (I love the Jeanette Macdonald-Nelson Eddy movies! San Francisco was pretty good, too:D) Rat Race The Phantom of the Opera - wouldn't it be wild to be sixteen like the girl who played Christine was, working at an opera house and being asked to audition there for your favorite musical?? Manipulative characters like the Phantom get under my skin, but the songs are beautiful. Napoleon Dynamite - if you were in high school when this came out, or if you were in high school in the eighties, you either loved or were slightly put off by this movie. Did it receive any notice at all in Britain? Toy Story - my brother and I used to have this, the first of the great Disney-Pixar movies, memorized

I'll start. I have a little bit of gushing to do, and one question to ask. If there were some way I didn't have to sleep or eat (I would give up one), I would read The Hobbit for the third time. I become excited when I hear about people as young as twelve going through Bilbo and the dwarves' adventures with them. My favorite part was when they were in Mirkwood Forest, because the hopelessness they felt in there was so evident. Did anyone read Sir Gibbie, At the Back of North Wind, or any fairytales like The Princess and the Goblin when they were kids? I actually haven't read The Princess and the Goblin, but I would love to read the first two of Macdonald's works again now that I can understand them better. It seems that Sir Gibbie is especially good for people who are easily moved to empathy and compassion because of little Gibbie's hardships. What are some good books by Charles Williams? I probably learned a little about him in British Literature, and of course I could look him up, but it's nice to have your experienced opinion(s). Is there a lighter title to start on?

Hey there, forum members! I'm sure since these are classical British authors with various levels of acclamation, you'll have much to tell me about their books. According to the Mythopoeic Society, the three main Inklings are C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, and Charles Williams. I haven't heard of Charles Williams before. I added George Macdonald on here because he was an influential contemporary of Tolkein and Lewis. I really want to discuss his heartwarming, thought-provoking (he was a Scottish pastor and sometimes put sermon excerpts in his adult stories!) books with you all. If you Google "The Inklings," you'll find there were many minor Inklings as well. I would love to go back in time, enter a tavern, and listen to Tolkein, Lewis, and Williams's discussions!

Ah! I just read about Bookmooch.com in a magazine two days ago. I don't think I should join it, though, until I get these library books done, though. And even after that, I saw fifteen or sixteen books at my grandma's I'd like to borrow... Ha! When I do join, I'll look for you BookClubForum people I've come to admire. I don't know what my screenname will be yet. We sure have found some good uses for the World Wide Web! Speaking of which, from a TV special I couldn't tear my eyes away from, here is a very good way to use your access to the world. In the TV special I saw, the government of Thailand gave a ton of rice to a region with starving families, but the charity needed money for trucks to distribute all of it.

That's a good idea! I have wanted to have a time of hanging out and baking together with my small group (five junior high girls from the church youth group). Christmas is as good a time as ever, especially with the time it'll save us! Eating the dough is the best part, and then frosting the cookies. Sometimes I flip through Martha Stewart Living magazines. In the December issue Martha said something like, "Good food, good friends, and good music make holiday chores like gift-wrapping or cookie-baking enjoyable."

Well, now I know what you guys mean when you use adjectives such as "ever-mounting" and "endless." I foolishly placed nine books and a movie on hold at the library and am picking up the following seven today or tomorrow: - The Wounded Spirit by Frank Peretti - My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Marier - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - The Lord of the Flies by William Golding - This Present Darkness/Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti (I put ordered that one because I wanted a spooky book to read while waiting in my family's living room to hand out Halloween candy) - Literacy and Longing in L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman - Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper (this is the book by John Piper that I have heard the most about) I am not too worried about keeping pace: The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper and (finally!) Knowing God by James I. Packer are coming along nicely. At first I picked them up again because I could not get a ride to the library for the past week. Now I suppose it's good for me to have no choice to read things with substance. I became very interested in The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostovesky in its about-the-author forward. After seeing the movie, I thought it was very intriguing how a man would use his life's experiences, good and bad, for writing material. It's due on Saturday, but I'll renew it since I am going to see my maternal grandma on Saturday. She can help me understand the story! I have a new rule: no computer, TV, newspaper, or books until I have spent time with God and His Word. I have continually let myself get distracted way too easily for the past four years! --And now I need to get off the computer. <:-)