tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27602913757488851522024-03-04T21:58:23.374-08:00I need some inspirationAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-68386956545206402462016-02-17T07:26:00.000-08:002016-02-17T07:26:43.384-08:00My favorite book of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's February, and I'm finally declaring my favorite book of 2015. I feel like everyone did this two months ago, but I wasn't ready to declare myself yet. <br />
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I think about this book often. I think about the sheer joy I felt bouncing along with the author's words as his brave protagonist faced every day of tricky seventh grade. I think about the quiet way he handled a moment of faith between two unlikely allies. I think about rats. I think about cream puffs. I think about how I wanted to write <i>just like this</i> when I read it. I think about Shakespeare and how I should give it another chance. I think about tough teachers and all the big things we go through in school and life. I think about how I felt a fondness for the book as soon as I finished it.<br />
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My favorite book of 2015 was <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JTHWN2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1">The Wednesday Wars</a></i> by Gary D. Schmidt. It wasn't published this year, but this year is when I read it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I totally prefer this cover.</i></td></tr>
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Runner-ups include:<br />
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<b><i>Okay for Now</i></b> by Gary D. Schmidt<br />
<b><i>Big Magic</i></b> by Elizabeth Gilbert<br />
<b><i>Outlander</i></b> by Diana Gabaldon<br />
<b><i>Shadows on the Rock</i></b> by Willa Cather<br />
<b><i>The Life Intended </i></b>by Kristin Harmel<br />
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You can check out how this compares to my mid-year reading roundup <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-mid-year-reading-roundup.html%20Done">right here</a>.<br />
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<b><i>What was your favorite book of 2015, published then or earlier?</i></b><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-84649033629148827142016-02-15T06:02:00.001-08:002016-02-17T07:27:38.336-08:00What I've been reading (February 2016)It's double the fun today as I update the world wide web on just what exactly I've been reading since I posted in December. Thank goodness for my Goodreads app, or I wouldn't know what I read.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EGV68M/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1">Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table</a></i> with Recipes by Shauna Niequist I have fond memories of reading this book electronically as 3/5 of my family traipsed out to the Christmas tree farm fields to find a good one. Little sis had fallen asleep en route to the farm; so, I stayed warm while I flicked my thumb on the iPhone, turning pages. Niequist was warm-hearted, encouraging, and full of inspiration to let people in, both in heart and home. Let your guard down, cook some food, ignore the dust bunnies, and enjoy your guests. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Home-Christmas-Jenny-Hale-ebook/dp/B00FL86ZK0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1455399672&sr=1-1&keywords=coming+home+for+christmas" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coming Home for Christmas by Jenny Hale</i> </a><span style="text-align: center;"> I believe this was the first Christmas romance I found as we approached the big holiday and was certainly not the last. I receive great joy from reading Christmas-themed books around the holidays, and this was a fun, easy read. The protagonist finds work as a House Manager and more romance than she bargained for at such a job. (I'd like to take this opportunity to clarify that when I read romance, it's not a bodice-ripper. I have read those kinds of books here and there; so, please, don't read me as high and mighty or judgmental. I just don't anymore.)</span><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=the+mistletoe+promise">The Mistletoe Promise</a> by Richard Paul Evans </i> I have a feeling that admitting to reading one (okay, maybe three) of his books will cause some readers to roll their eyes in bookish superiority, but I was delighted to read this book. The premise? Hard to believe. The writing? Sometimes cheesy. But I still loved it. I love a story about grace, mercy, and forgiveness. It was set at Christmas time! It was romantic! It was gentlemanly! I couldn't help it! <i>And it had a pretty cover that sucked me right in at the library!</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Inn-Novel-Collection-ebook/dp/B00V3L8ZJ8/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1455399710&sr=1-3&keywords=the+mistletoe+promise">The Mistletoe Inn</a></i> by Richard Paul Evans This book's jacket caught my eye because it was about writers and a writer's conference in wintery, Christmasy New England, and that's a winner, right there! I could see the ending coming a mile away, but I really enjoyed the writerly setting with dashes of glamour and romance. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Me-Richard-Paul-Evans-ebook/dp/B003UYURP6/ref=pd_sim_351_12?ie=UTF8&dpID=51WBZWOZlgL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR113%2C160_&refRID=0Z3HH1H8CNFPQF0CCGGG">Promise Me</a></i> by Richard Paul Evans This is where my Christmas romance run started to sputter. I didn't like the plot twist in this one <i>at all</i>, and I nearly abandoned it. The book was an easy read, though, and I saw it through. If you like Christmas book candy, be sure to read the others, but I don't really recommend this one. However, I would like to commend Mr. Evans on his heroic male leads. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Stroll-Elin-Hilderbrand-ebook/dp/B00T3E77IC/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51vE1pFUmeL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR106%2C160_&refRID=08JN2818NT1ESTQ9WS8H">Winter Stroll</a></i> by Elin Hilderbrand I've seen Hilderbrand recommended many times at Modern Mrs Darcy; so, I thought I'd give her a whirl when I saw its <i>lovely Christmas cover</i> on the New Books shelves at the library (I really loaded up that day). This book pulled me right in with all its talk about quaint inns and other fabulous places on Nantucket. I loved the family drama, the national news anchorwoman character, and the actual idea of the Winter Stroll. The Nantucket setting was so fabulously enchanting. And come to find out, I accidentally read book two of a series! Now, I need to interlibrary loan book one (Winter Street), but perhaps I should wait for Christmas 2016! Or will the third book in the Winter series be out then? <i>And, hey, Hilderbrand fans: which summer book of hers should I try next?</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Very-Nantucket-Christmas-Holiday-Novels-ebook/dp/B00TNDOYN4/ref=pd_sim_351_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51XsMAYxoyL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=18CR4WVGWBCB9MRN5JY9">A Very Nantucket Christmas</a></i>: Two Holiday Novels by Nancy Thayer I just could not quit the Christmas theme at this point. Winter Stroll's Nantucket setting sent me searching for similarly themed books, and this one hit the spot (I was all over Google searching and reading about Nantucket at this point). The stories were fine (middle aged newly married woman deals with selfish daughter-in-law and middle aged married couple sees their daughter get married on the island), not my favorites of all my Christmas themed books this year, and I found myself out of steam after this one. Lost December by Richard Paul Evans went back to the library unread. Maybe next Christmas, RPE.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Fighting-Grace-Impossible-Standards-ebook/dp/B00QL9LFCG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1455399823&sr=1-1&keywords=for+the+love">For the Love</a></i> by Jen Hatmaker I happily received this for beautifully-covered book for Christmas, and it was a heartwarming, encouraging plea to be realistic about all the perceived pressures we ladies experience as daughters, mothers, wives, workers, church members, and just plain people. I really appreciated that aspect of the book in particular. We've gotten so out of hand with our expectations (or perhaps I should just speak for myself) with the advent of the internet and looking at everyone's lives on social media. There was more to the book than this topic, but I recommend it mostly for that reason. For the love, ladies, let's all dial it down, eh? We are driving ourselves batty.<br />
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<b>Abandoned</b>: I tossed aside all sorts of books in my post-Christmas letdown, such as <b><i>Furiously Happy</i></b> by Jenny Lawson (I really wanted to like that one), <b><i>The Snow Queen</i></b> by Michael Cunningham (I couldn't even care enough to see what was going on with the angel sighting), <b><i>Surprised by Truth 2</i></b> by Patrick Madrid (just wasn't in the mood for conversion stories, which I usually love), and <b><i>Giants in the Earth</i></b> by O.E. Rølvaag. I just finally called that one quits. It was haunting me like Jacob Marley, and I said enough! Back to the library you go. I might not be able to show my face at the Well Read Mom meeting (haha!), but I can move onto what I really want to read without that book giving me a guilty conscience.<br />
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<b><i>What about you? Tell me about what you've been reading in the comments. Any of these? Linking up with <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/quick-lit-february-2016/">Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit</a> for the monthly chit chat about what we've been reading.</i></b><br />
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P.S. More bookish fun from <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/12/what-ive-been-reading-december-2015.html">December</a> and <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/11/what-ive-been-reading-november-2015.html">November</a>! Check out <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2016/02/my-favorite-book-of-2015.html">my favorite book of 2015</a>!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-64561902318443275772016-01-04T05:38:00.000-08:002016-01-04T05:45:14.160-08:00Goal setting and checklists for the new year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With today being the first day back from the holidays, I am inspired to write through several goals I've been rolling around in my head. </div>
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I've been very encouraged by Gretchen Rubin's books, and one of her quotations floats to the surface often:</div>
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<i><b>"We manage what we monitor."</b></i></div>
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Many of the goals I have in mind have been goals in the past, but I am hoping that monitoring them and writing about them publicly will provide the accountability that this Obliger needs to make progress with truly desired goals. It's easy to forget about these things in the everydayness of mom life. A checklist in a high traffic area will keep my goals off the back burner! Hopefully. I did something similar to this when I was expecting my first child: eat my protein, do my exercises, et cetera, and I am proud to say it worked.</div>
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<b>Take a reading break every day after lunch.</b> I have been doing this more often since it has really started to sink in that I need a break in the afternoon, too. I may not be able to take a nap, but relaxing into a book is the next best thing. It should coincide with my oldest's quiet time and the youngest's nap.</div>
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<b>Be finished with school before lunch. </b>The day just flows more peacefully when we've started with school earlier and finish completely before lunch. It's hard to restart school after a lunch break. Someday, we will always have to restart after lunch and rest, but right now, the oldest is only in second grade. Schoolwork can be done in a couple of hours. If it's not, I need to reexamine what I we are doing. This goal coincides nicely with the next one.</div>
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<b>Start school at 9:00am.</b> Yeah, I know. Homeschooling is nice because you don't have to have a schedule. That's true. But without outside accountability, I sometimes start later than I'd like. Do I beat myself up for it? No. Do we still get work done? Yeah. I'd like a little more routine, and the kids do well with routine. A few hard stops sprinkled throughout the day will help us out. This looks like "this before that" not "reading at 9:00, writing at 9:15, math at 9:30." <br />
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<b style="text-align: center;">Write for 30 minutes in the morning.</b><span style="text-align: center;"> I don't know how this one's going to go, but I have to try and start somewhere. I feel like I should say 60 minutes, but that seems like a lot. Am I going to get up? Is my 2 year old going to get up with me? Anne Lamott wrote that you have to get your tush in the chair and just do it if you want to write; so, let's get this going.</span></div>
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<b>Sit in stillness and pray for at least 5 minutes</b>. I used to do morning and evening prayer via the magazine Magnificat, but I fell off the wagon when I stopped purchasing the magazine. I want to build up my intentional prayer life, but I am undecided about how to move forward. This is a start.</div>
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<b>Lights out at 10:00pm.</b> This means no reading, no iPhone, no laptop, and no Kindle. No, no, no, no. And yes to more sleep! I won't be able to get up for writing time if I don't go to bed at a decent time, not to mention I am a better mom when I sleep properly.</div>
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<b>Put the iPhone down for the night no later than 9:00pm. </b> I feel like I should call this one even earlier, but let's be realistic. If I put it down by 9:00pm, I would still have one hour of book reading before bed, and one hour of bed reading is like an oasis of time, is it not? It's like time stretches in a thousand ways while my brain is locked into the words. My being breathes again when I read a good book in bed after the kids are asleep (bless their souls).</div>
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<b>Exercise for 30 minutes. </b> I don't know how to be specific about this one. Walk outside? I've tried that in the morning. After rest time in the afternoon? With a DVD? Oh, gosh, I hate even writing about this! But I know I need to do it for my mood, being inside a lot with the kids, and having the energy to work on these goals. Still, I groan inwardly....I'll have to put a big star on the monitoring chart next to this one. And highlight it.</div>
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<b>Get at least 15 minutes of fresh air each day. </b>Put on the big ugly coat and get outside! Throw hats and coats on the kids and get outside! Get out there before it gets dark! Game changer.</div>
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<b>Wrestle with the middle child at least once a day.</b> That little dude's love language is physical touch for sure. He loooooves to wrestle.</div>
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<b>Read a book to the youngest child at least once a day.</b> Keep board books by the bed and read them to her before we nurse to sleep. It is very easy for my oldest child to receive the most read aloud time with homeschool and all, and the middle child gets read aloud time at bedtime, at the least. Little Miss Youngest misses out more than I'd like.</div>
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There are other things on my goal list, but these are the ones that seem easiest to monitor via the checklist strategy. (Gretchen has a <a href="http://www.gretchenrubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RESOLUTION_CHART-Combined.pdf">free blank 31 day printable for your goals</a>, if you're interested. I had to print mine at 90% to get it all on one page.) I begin today, Monday the 4th.</div>
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<b><i>Has the new year inspired you to zone in on your goals? Please share in the comments on the what and the how! Happy 2016!</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005R9HHTQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1"><i>Ida Elisabeth</i></a> by Sigrid Undset was the <a href="http://www.wellreadmom.com/">Well Read Mom</a> selection of the month. I would never have picked up this book without WRM (I probably would've tried <i>Kristin Lavransdatter</i> first), and I am mostly glad I read it. Set in 1930s Norway, protagonist Ida Elisabeth slugs through a difficult family life with the seeming toughness of a bull. The gal doesn't give up. She hangs on, experiences tremendous growing pains, and learns the meaning of self-sacrifice. One fellow WRM remarked at our meeting that Ida Elisabeth's life was like purgatory on earth. I concurred. I can appreciate where the book went, how it ended, and what I took from it, but I can't say I actually recommend it. At least, not in the way I recommend last month's Well Read Mom selection, <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/11/what-ive-been-reading-november-2015.html"><i>Shadows on the Rock</i></a><i>. </i>Maybe something was lost in translation.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond-ebook/dp/B00S52M350">Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear</a> </i>by Elizabeth Gilbert was a fun, jaunty read from a warm, encouraging author. I read a large print edition so it was a particularly <i>big</i> experience! Ha! But, no, I really appreciated this book from its surprising account of where a book idea went when Gilbert didn't follow through on the inspiration to her insider look at what people tell themselves when they want to create but feel all the feels of fear. I'll probably read this again, and I'll probably want my own copy someday. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QPIM608/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1"><i>Orbiting Jupiter</i></a> by Gary D. Schmidt was my next (quick) read, and it was a departure from the beloved style of <i>The Wednesday Wars</i> and <i>Okay for Now</i>. The core of this book was handled more seriously, whereas <i>Wednesday</i> and <i>Okay</i> used humor to work through their heavy subjects. So, it was a quieter book, more simple, but it still had some of that Schmidt wisdom slid in there for us to take in. Evocative. Don't miss it if you're a Schmidt fan, but it's not my favorite of his so far because I didn't completely buy into the ending. (<i>I'm still so inspired by you, Mr. Schmidt!)</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088P0M5W/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1"><i>Better Nate Than Ever</i></a> by Tim Federle was my last read of the month. I saw it suggested on Goodreads, and I loved the whole Broadway fan aspect of the novel. Nate's super-ultra-mega awareness and energy levels as he sneaks to NYC for an audition about wore me out within the first few chapters (and read a little forced), but there were times I laughed out loud, too. I mean, I cackled near the end of the book when Nate is asked if he likes waffles and Federle writes the following to express the obviousness of Nate's answer: "<i>I want to say, "Is Christine Daae's high note pre-recorded in Phantom?", but it seems too early in the day for that kind of insider stuff." </i>And I loved Nate's actual audition. So, for anyone who lives and breathes musical theater, I imagine you would have affection for this book. Some parents will want to preview. <br />
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I have very nearly abandoned <i>The Expats</i> by Chris Pavone. Should I give it a few more pages? I sense it could be getting more exciting soon, but I would just like it to go ahead and get more exciting.<br />
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<b><i>What have you been reading lately?</i></b><br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-35899085932624580652015-11-29T11:56:00.001-08:002015-11-29T11:56:46.722-08:002 books to add to your kid's Advent book list<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy first week of Advent to you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I publish this year's Advent Book Countdown list (check out the <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/12/an-advent-countdown-with-books-2014.html">2014</a>, <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2013/12/an-advent-countdown-with-books-2013.html">2013</a>, and <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-advent-countdown-with-books.html">2012 </a>lists), I wanted to share two books that I decided to add to our collection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used to buy less cautiously. I got excited by all the book lists online and bought picture books at full price. Now, I interlibrary loan books and try them out for a season before committing. And if I commit to buying the book, I search for it in used condition first. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802852971?keywords=brigid's%20cloak&qid=1448767436&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1"><b>Brigid's Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story</b></a> by Bryce Milligan was suggested by Catholic Mosaic author, Cay Gibson for St. Brigid's feast day (February 1), and I quickly realized it needed to be added to our Advent selections. The illustrations are beautiful. I was unfamiliar with this story prior to Brigid's feast day; so, I was pleased to find another book of such quality to add happily to our Advent collection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Francis-Celebrates-Christmas-Caswell/dp/0829411127"><b>Saint Francis Celebrates Christmas</b></a> by Mary Caswell Walsh was discovered after a friend named her Advent baby after St. Francis in an effort to honor what season she was born. Did you know St. Francis created the first (live!) Christmas manger scene and is the inspiration for the ones we put in our homes and churches? I didn't until a few years ago. This book is a keeper and a terrific addition to an Advent book list. It costs a small fortune used and new on Amazon right now, but you might find it in bookstores. I unexpectedly found my brand new copy at my local Catholic goods store. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also bought a new book about Our Lady of Guadalupe and another one about St. Francis and the nativity scene, but they aren't vetted yet. Next, I need to sift through the St. Stephen/King Wencelas books. We've enjoyed many of them, but we haven't purchased any yet!</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you add any new books to your Advent collection this year?</span></i></b><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-66981597525055714232015-11-15T18:27:00.001-08:002015-11-16T07:05:47.993-08:00What I've been reading (November 2015)It's a short list this month, folks, but the books that I did read packed a punch. First, I finished:<br />
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<i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FY6PYQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1">Shadows on the Rock</a></b></i> by Willa Cather. This novel, creating a year in the life of 17th century French settlers in Quebec City, was the first selection in <a href="http://www.wellreadmom.com/">Well-Read Mom's</a> The Year of the Worker. I tell you: I would not have picked this out to read if I hadn't been pushed to do so by the reading group, but I am so glad I did. It's quiet fortitude reminded me of last year's first book in The Year of the Spouse: <i><a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/twitterature-october-2014.html">Hannah Coulter</a></i>. Solid, charitable, and admirable characters and evocative writing, beautifully washed in a reverence for Catholicism, encouraged me to select another Cather novel to read. (I was especially taken by the story of the recluse Jeanne Le Ber and how she lived behind the high altar of her church, with her bed pillow just inches from the Blessed Sacrament on the other side of a partition.) An autumn read, for sure.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008H4NAPI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1">Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus</a> </i>by Sherry A. Weddell This pick from my <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/07/whats-missing-from-my-list-of-books.html">Spiritual Reading Plan</a> was chock full of the bad news (the true state of mostly lay discipleship in the Roman Catholic church) and the good news (how to change things). I was struck by so many figures (around 70% of people who join the church via RCIA leave after a year!), stories (someone looking for the horns on a Catholic's head!), and what we can do to drop our nets. Honestly, I am still digesting this one, and if you're at all interested in the state of discipleship in Catholic churches, this book will be enlightening.<br />
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That's it for this month. The only book I abandoned was All the Light We Cannot See, and I only abandoned it because I had to prioritize these two books. I will try it again: don't fret! Linking up, as always, with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit. <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/11/7-recent-nonfiction-reads/">Click over to see what all sorts of people are reading</a>.<br />
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<b><i>What are you reading? Have you read either of these books?</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2760291375748885152" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2760291375748885152" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-40604499402685892242015-10-15T17:29:00.001-07:002015-10-16T13:21:36.825-07:00What I've been reading (September/October 2015)You guys, I missed two months of <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/10/quick-lit-october/">Quick Lit</a>! I was in the middle of back-to-homeschool and house selling action, and I let posting go. It's the first time I have missed the linkup. That makes this month a little longer, which is fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlV52pAFMR3giGzPerVlyVt0Qw0N47PSpTkIzXfasvIiGl_cEMnKiov3Q6H3cxYEf29rt5SbIOP2Se5Tr_lVrawkxFkWNEbia6manJfk6uyP0VUhqzMh8QubI6AqbcakcZ1Ela9_XK6g/s1600/lifechangingmagicoftidyingup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlV52pAFMR3giGzPerVlyVt0Qw0N47PSpTkIzXfasvIiGl_cEMnKiov3Q6H3cxYEf29rt5SbIOP2Se5Tr_lVrawkxFkWNEbia6manJfk6uyP0VUhqzMh8QubI6AqbcakcZ1Ela9_XK6g/s200/lifechangingmagicoftidyingup.jpg" width="139" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering/dp/1607747308">The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up</a></i> by Marie Kondo had some wisdom in it. I like her idea of being surrounded by things that spark joy. I mean, I certainly believe that form and function can harmonize. Your dish drainer and laundry hamper don't have to be the cheapest and ugliest things you can find. I'm with her on the idea of keeping what you love, not seeing what you can discard. I asked myself that very question a year ago, here on the blog, about <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/09/to-keep-or-not-to-keep-childhood-things.html">my childhood possessions</a>. Otherwise, this book didn't change my life, though if you go through your possessions and recognize in your being whether you really truly love something or you're just keeping it around out of fear/guilt/indecision AND you do this within a matter of days, you <i>will</i> change your life. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC38d_s_KVkY48Vgsu-pXLkPM4neOoVkuuWjYxYxynSNX5whK0BVWIenH6eSY-9fnj0hBKpMM5mmH3AsGEj_3LGiPFITnzOEyvEABHW-HW4bW65gOso60H-DXfEEVFrhves0AgkZ38FjU/s1600/okayfornow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC38d_s_KVkY48Vgsu-pXLkPM4neOoVkuuWjYxYxynSNX5whK0BVWIenH6eSY-9fnj0hBKpMM5mmH3AsGEj_3LGiPFITnzOEyvEABHW-HW4bW65gOso60H-DXfEEVFrhves0AgkZ38FjU/s200/okayfornow.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Okay-Now-Gary-D-Schmidt/dp/0544022807">Okay for Now</a> </i>by Gary D. Schmidt made me want to write a novel for younger people. That's how good he is at writing. He makes you think you can do it, too. I knew Doug Swieteck from <i>The Wednesday Wars</i>, and this book confirms the story one might have guessed about his background, which Schmidt illustrates deftly. I thought the ending wrapped up a little too neatly, but Doug's growth through birds, drawing, working, and good friends shines throughout the book. I'll definitely reread this one.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-Youve-Been-Publicly-Shamed-ebook/dp/B00L9B7IRC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444954579&sr=1-1&keywords=so+you%27ve+been+publicly+shamed">So You've Been Publicly Shamed</a></i> by Jon Ronson was a little scary. I'm already cautious about what I post on the Internet, and this made me think I wasn't crazy for doing so. Ronson looked up all these people who have made very public mistakes, gone through the wringer, and lived to tell about it. He asked over and over: What was it like? How did you recover? Why did you come out on the other side of this strong while others are in hiding? I also thought the whole topic spoke volumes about our propensity for sin, confession, and atonement. The writing was witty and engaging, his eye so observant. Writing this reminds me to look up Ronson's other books and put them on my To Be Read list. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF5rN2FGYiin44uAas-JQYE4SECsXqo2yFRNliJw7A5fqp6UTbyEVgSpN0MBT93riXrio76TIThRH4XSw-yMXUGGIRv5Ka-qpURGkXE2lkYaMsXxtsOIsTyRxEsJGLB91BE6o5vKG0ag/s1600/girlattheendoftheworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF5rN2FGYiin44uAas-JQYE4SECsXqo2yFRNliJw7A5fqp6UTbyEVgSpN0MBT93riXrio76TIThRH4XSw-yMXUGGIRv5Ka-qpURGkXE2lkYaMsXxtsOIsTyRxEsJGLB91BE6o5vKG0ag/s200/girlattheendoftheworld.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-Youve-Been-Publicly-Shamed-ebook/dp/B00L9B7IRC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444954579&sr=1-1&keywords=so+you%27ve+been+publicly+shamed">Girl at the End of the World: My Escape From Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future</a></i> by Elizabeth Esther was a heartbreaking, yet very readable, memoir about the pain of growing up in a fundamentalist cult and how she made her way out of it. As a person with a newly developed devotion to the Virgin Mary, I was very moved by her role in Esther's reception into the Catholic Church: <i>"What if God is pursuing me through the gentle love of His Son's mother? What if, knowing that all masculine roads to God are blocked for me, Jesus has sent His mother to lead me back to Him?"</i> I'll surely read this one again someday and look forward to anything else Esther publishes. (I read this book as part of my <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/07/whats-missing-from-my-list-of-books.html">Spiritual Reading Plan</a>.) Kudos to her.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Upstairs-at-White-House-West/dp/044630557X/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1444954980&sr=1-1"><i>Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies</i></a> by J.B. West with Mary Lynn Kotz was a respectful and affectionate account of West's long career as Chief Usher of the White House. He was present from FDR and Eleanor to Richard and Pat Nixon and shares everything from how the First Ladies preferred to address the duties of the day to how they liked to decorate their private rooms. Something interesting of note: the White House staff doesn't get to go to Inauguration Day. They are too busy coordinating the moving out of the last president to the moving in of the next!<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Design-Mom-Room---Room-Guide-ebook/dp/B00N2A6HNO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444955025&sr=1-1&keywords=design+mom">Design Mom: How to Live with Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide</a></i> by Gabrielle Stanley Blair was a lovely idea book for families. Books like this are meant to be flipped through, but I read it page-by-page. My heart was warmed by the acknowledgement of bedsharing, and I liked her assertion that your house is your house, and it is okay to refuse Buzz Lightyear bedsheets for aesthetic purposes. (And, hey, those kind of sheets are usually so scratchy!) Fun and beautiful, though I couldn't help thinking there were often still too many breakables in many of the photos.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Intended-Kristin-Harmel-ebook/dp/B00IWTWM70/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444955064&sr=1-1&keywords=the+life+intended"><i>The Life Intended</i></a> by Kristin Harmel was just lovely. It was on my radar (as so many books are) because of Modern Mrs. Darcy's mentions, but the deal was sealed when I found it available to download through my library alliance. The book was explained in more than one place as the movies <i>Sliding Doors</i> and <i>P.S. I Love You</i> combined. That is an apt description. However, if you are concerned it could be schmaltzy or overwrought, I am here to tell you it is neither of those things. It was easy to read but not poorly written; it flowed so nicely. It's also a really interesting look into the world of music therapy and being deaf/hard of hearing. Loved it.<br />
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<b>Abandoned:</b><br />
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<b><i>Go Set a Watchman</i></b> by Harper Lee<br />
<b><i>Garden Spells</i></b> by Sarah Addison Allen<br />
<b><i>Happiness for Beginners</i></b> by Katherine Center (I am sad this is on the abandoned list. I liked <i>The Lost Husband</i> and was hoping for another winner.)<br />
<i><b>Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less</b></i> by Greg McKeown (Abandoning this one felt ironic.)<br />
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<b><i>What have YOU been reading? Linking up with <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/10/quick-lit-october/">Modern Mrs. Darcy</a>!</i></b><br />
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background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 26px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1296px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-62561328926142998142015-07-15T22:26:00.004-07:002015-07-15T22:29:12.742-07:00What's missing from my list of books-read-in-2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHsdBAr-Ejjk7As2ojEARZKruBVy0h-5aVBtWB-yo6240M1eePtvYjCUthUAUir9jcMu9ZdTJ-YB1VutvWPUfzKyTJceZJ6HhDvy9LjmGjhLR-kXpMYhWKybiC9Y-3odH_Rs1m2KUAcY/s1600/whatsmissingfromreadin2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHsdBAr-Ejjk7As2ojEARZKruBVy0h-5aVBtWB-yo6240M1eePtvYjCUthUAUir9jcMu9ZdTJ-YB1VutvWPUfzKyTJceZJ6HhDvy9LjmGjhLR-kXpMYhWKybiC9Y-3odH_Rs1m2KUAcY/s640/whatsmissingfromreadin2015.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It was fun to put my thoughts together recently about <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-mid-year-reading-roundup.html">the books I've read so far this year</a>. I noticed one large concern during the process:<br />
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<b><i>I was struck by how little spiritual reading I'd done this year. </i></b> Granted, there are still six or so months left to 2015, but it was convicting to see so little related to my faith on the list. <br />
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Now, I've read some edifying <i>online articles</i> during this time but not enough books. Fr. Roderick's <i>Geekpriest</i> was a sincerely enthusiastic memoir about his journey to the priesthood, use of new media, and Church teaching, wrapped up in geekery. I also dipped my toe into <i>The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest </i>by Elisabeth Leseur. <br />
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But any books on deepening prayer? Scriptural study? Apologetics? (At least not straight up apologetics- lots of the memoirs have apologetics in them by way of explaining conversion stories.) Church history? Life of a saint? No.<br />
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<b>To rectify this, I've made a Spiritual Reading Plan.</b> (<i>And it's not even Lent!) </i>I am going to:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKgUxmTd-MBbEzslYSCtnAd7zTIxVqYbGjjzPpfozgl-yxaEX1ISYcy_0kZHl5yTkItPwv2pzPFIpWo0xiW9vpQezw7QKZHODHx__CIkfXcwSBHo8OZYaRz1veTyWfi0HE8g3VEwt9gs/s1600/magnificat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKgUxmTd-MBbEzslYSCtnAd7zTIxVqYbGjjzPpfozgl-yxaEX1ISYcy_0kZHl5yTkItPwv2pzPFIpWo0xiW9vpQezw7QKZHODHx__CIkfXcwSBHo8OZYaRz1veTyWfi0HE8g3VEwt9gs/s200/magnificat.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<b>purchase the latest <a href="https://www.magnificat.net/english/index.asp"><i>Magnificat</i></a> and begin morning and evening prayer with it.</b> For the unfamiliar, morning and evening prayer isn't just one prayer in the morning and one in the evening. It's a grouping of sacred hymns, Psalms, Scripture, and Canticles. I'll read the other readings and offerings in the magazine as desired. (<a href="https://www.magnificat.net/english/exemplaire_gratuit.asp">Try <i>Magnificat</i> for free!</a>) I could pray morning and evening prayer directly out of the Divine Office or find it online, but this is screen-free and seems more doable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVD2PZyM7W_3E81owbPMqGcuN6au_il-9d2kkWucVh4-yQTB5knWTzf4cOZsVRpTz1SWARmTcVToaFVvW8WBpAgQkPale_v-cDh-4D8ZVjCqNURlC2fYKRoWNB6G7QAfjwLl8bJqGXQg/s1600/formingintentionaldisciples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVD2PZyM7W_3E81owbPMqGcuN6au_il-9d2kkWucVh4-yQTB5knWTzf4cOZsVRpTz1SWARmTcVToaFVvW8WBpAgQkPale_v-cDh-4D8ZVjCqNURlC2fYKRoWNB6G7QAfjwLl8bJqGXQg/s200/formingintentionaldisciples.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b>read <i>Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus</i> by Sherry A. Weddell</b>.<b> </b> Nancy at <i>Reading Catholic</i> named it <a href="http://readingcatholic.com/2013-reading-catholic-book-survey/">the best book she'd read in 2013</a>. I've always remembered <a href="http://readingcatholic.com/discipleship-as-conversion-and-journey/">her review</a>, and I'm ready to dive in. This book has been talked about quite a bit in the Catholic world for the last couple of years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawIq8cCdMBeb1tN0a15Y3AO-lYb0RO9H8lPElSx4o4TkDGHnr2FEQD_ic5A_XGOLQ6AlpQRVCiIGOqXWsKf7-j0ZELPyTuWAJILCnbDdAzLPIF_bQJyEt20eqvHdlQlh_CI2NGW3vzYg/s1600/wouldyoubaptizeanextraterrestrial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawIq8cCdMBeb1tN0a15Y3AO-lYb0RO9H8lPElSx4o4TkDGHnr2FEQD_ic5A_XGOLQ6AlpQRVCiIGOqXWsKf7-j0ZELPyTuWAJILCnbDdAzLPIF_bQJyEt20eqvHdlQlh_CI2NGW3vzYg/s200/wouldyoubaptizeanextraterrestrial.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<b>read </b><b style="font-style: italic;">Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? </b><b>by Guy Consolmagno, SJ and Paul Mueller, SJ. </b>When I heard about this book on <i><a href="http://jenniferfulwiler.com/">The Jennifer Fulwiler Show</a>,</i> I made a mental note of it and picked it up at the bookstore. I've already started it, and it's very accessible. I just have to choose to read something besides the fiction I've been escaping to while we prepare our house for market. The authors' backgrounds are admirable: Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ is a graduate of MIT, a Vatican astronomer, and a Jesuit brother. Paul Mueller, SJ is a graduate of the University of Chicago, a Vatican Observatory research staff member, and a Jesuit priest. I know I will finish this book wishing I'd read the rest of it sooner because faith and the cosmos is a subject I am currently nerding out on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8PP393zYtCrGrrIq-hSoPEUjfxGIGLv5EWZsnOhfdtBGcwFABJGzZHm4ffhc2Kaptj8iOJJzOq1Lg2Z4M9TrN6fDgnvrkS_OquMs55PXIijGl7-hcxYzAIO-HljU4PIYQ_FHbVweggk/s1600/arrivingatamen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8PP393zYtCrGrrIq-hSoPEUjfxGIGLv5EWZsnOhfdtBGcwFABJGzZHm4ffhc2Kaptj8iOJJzOq1Lg2Z4M9TrN6fDgnvrkS_OquMs55PXIijGl7-hcxYzAIO-HljU4PIYQ_FHbVweggk/s200/arrivingatamen.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<b>read</b> <b><i>Arriving at Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers That Even I Can Offer</i> by Leah Libresco.</b> I'm not a regular reader of Libresco's blog, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unequallyyoked/"><i>Unequally Yoked</i></a>, but I poked around it a little bit after I heard about her atheist-to-Catholic conversion in 2012. (<i><a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/22/prominent-atheist-blogger-converts-to-catholicism/">Her conversion was even featured on CNN!</a></i>) I found her so fascinating because it sounded like she <i>thought</i> her way to Catholicism. That's a subject I'd like to read more about: if I went back to school, I'd study philosophy and theology. This book is supposed to cover her conversion, as well as be an exploration of prayer from her unique perspective.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8-efFm0Uv_8hSbQO9xEhKvn3ApmTEqvH77qWDF72c29JZQpsAM4fyPdA29_lT8CKYBD1hHeiKpV0D3fAurJKckuBBY4IK-fz0pkFJ037y1nCijrpwvUpf0x8pKnSu42SUnIZeREoOXs/s1600/thelambssupper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8-efFm0Uv_8hSbQO9xEhKvn3ApmTEqvH77qWDF72c29JZQpsAM4fyPdA29_lT8CKYBD1hHeiKpV0D3fAurJKckuBBY4IK-fz0pkFJ037y1nCijrpwvUpf0x8pKnSu42SUnIZeREoOXs/s200/thelambssupper.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>reread <i>The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth</i> by Scott Hahn.</b> I've read this book and want to revisit it to deepen my appreciation for the Eucharist and the Mass. Hahn's memoir <i>Rome Sweet Home</i> (co-written by his wife, Kimberly) was instrumental in my massive reversion to the Church several years ago. After my reversion, I looked up what else Hahn had written and read this book.I'm looking forward to reexamining the link between Scripture and the Mass. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvkLE2qH_aDEGUGDUthdZgQHCaIFNByXDXAY6cHzsl7t-T-dIU4QtBV62mI_BfNN4vb5qksWaKvxvRH4XzRq0QYhcgPGc3cSeDlfAg5dxchj2c4tDSGoFo0GNKYNGB9Sv96Nk7WMAAJE/s1600/girlattheendoftheworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvkLE2qH_aDEGUGDUthdZgQHCaIFNByXDXAY6cHzsl7t-T-dIU4QtBV62mI_BfNN4vb5qksWaKvxvRH4XzRq0QYhcgPGc3cSeDlfAg5dxchj2c4tDSGoFo0GNKYNGB9Sv96Nk7WMAAJE/s200/girlattheendoftheworld.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<b>read <i>Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future</i> by Elizabeth Esther</b>. I read about this book at <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/"><i>Modern Mrs. Darcy</i></a>, and I've been wanting to read it ever since. I find memoirs so helpful in understanding people from different backgrounds. I'm also choosing this book because I understand Esther converted to Catholicism, and as a Catholic, I enjoy learning about how people walk toward the faith. I love conversion stories. Looking forward.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKJeT8y5JXHEvsXqHn0KG8KmbhYOIa2IrpNsCMrl1Npgo67YS_Bf50HshNnKIJKF7jeWU2U-Ed1-4WBIct4GvLjyztDdJXM-e0cL-xPLy9L7eVBaG9_aQm_7lcnKxUhGBDNWxNbF-nAY/s1600/found.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKJeT8y5JXHEvsXqHn0KG8KmbhYOIa2IrpNsCMrl1Npgo67YS_Bf50HshNnKIJKF7jeWU2U-Ed1-4WBIct4GvLjyztDdJXM-e0cL-xPLy9L7eVBaG9_aQm_7lcnKxUhGBDNWxNbF-nAY/s400/found.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Perhaps a little too low in the stack</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>Anything missing from your list of books read this year? What do you wish you'd read by now? Do you need a spiritual reading plan? What are you reading for your faith right now?</i></b><br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-44130353885028107632015-07-15T13:57:00.002-07:002015-07-15T22:29:43.297-07:00What I've been reading (July 2015)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2GO-LurtCgi5p_W_52UQrz5dODouhzvNRnQON62AbnaTbK5wvo0hD2sJHLF7IjwWFJ6HpM8Zzwto_dCuLg8yfloFlESaYCi2x0L0gaGR29p3ZT5LOucoA8FAwtPmFm5zLHZHfyf1e3g/s1600/wednesdaywars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2GO-LurtCgi5p_W_52UQrz5dODouhzvNRnQON62AbnaTbK5wvo0hD2sJHLF7IjwWFJ6HpM8Zzwto_dCuLg8yfloFlESaYCi2x0L0gaGR29p3ZT5LOucoA8FAwtPmFm5zLHZHfyf1e3g/s200/wednesdaywars.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<b><i>The Wednesday Wars</i></b> by Gary D. Schmidt. Holling Hoodhood is a remarkable seventh grader. He holds his own with a tough teacher, bullying, parental demands, rats, a first love, athletic competition, family drama, Shakespeare, and the backdrop of the Vietnam War. If I went through what he did in the book, I'd be quaking in my boots and/or developing an ulcer. Holling seems to handle it all with aplomb. Or perhaps Mrs. Baker and their weekly Wednesday meeting is what holds him together? Charming, graceful, and full of smarts. <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-mid-year-reading-roundup.html">Like I said in my mid-year reading roundup</a>, I was fondly recalling this book as soon as I finished it. One of my faves of the year so far.<br />
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<i><b>Wish You Were Eyre </b>(The Mother Daughter Book Club #6) </i>by Heather Vogel Frederick. Bits of <i>Jane Eyre</i> were all over the most recent release in this series, just like all the books before it. Each book has homages to the fictional group's current book selection. I wondered how Frederick would pay tribute to the mysterious third floor happenings of Thornfield Hall, and she did so in a clever way. Megan's long-awaited trip to Paris Fashion Week is the highlight of this book. Fun.<br />
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<i><b>We Were Liars</b></i> by E. Lockhart. I kept reading this book to see what happened; so, I give the author credit for suspense. I also appreciated the small nod to <i>Wuthering Heights</i>. However, I didn't really care about the story or the characters. I didn't buy a crucial part of the plot, but teenagers (including my past teen self) <i>can</i> make really inane mistakes. I can't recommend this one, though I'd take an island with houses for all my family members!<br />
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I feel like I am forgetting something this month! Goodreads list, don't fail me now! <br />
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<b><i>What did you read this month? <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/07/summer-reading-progress/">Linking up as usual with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit Reviews</a>. Check out her post this month for loads of other chats about what people have been reading.</i></b><br />
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P.S. Want more bookish fun? Check out <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/06/what-ive-been-reading-june-2015.html">what I read in June</a> and <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-mid-year-reading-roundup.html">my 2015 mid-year roundup</a> of what I've been reading!<br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-18591237254974422812015-07-13T13:13:00.000-07:002015-07-17T12:24:15.945-07:00A mid-year reading roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I thought naming <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-5-favorite-books-of-2014.html">my five favorite books of 2014</a> was so fun, I decided to check in on my favorites mid-year as well. <br />
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Without further ado, I give you my top five favorite books of 2015 <i>thus far, </i>in no particular order and not necessarily published this year:<br />
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<b><i>Outlander</i></b> by Diana Gabaldon. My goodness, this was a heck of a book. I'd never read anything like this before. As a fan of all things of the British Isles, being transported into the early eighteenth century Highlands was a wild ride. This book is heavy on what we Catholics like to call the <i>marital embrace</i> (thank you, JP2 and your Theology of the Body), and that could be a deal breaker for some readers. <i>However</i>, speaking of, I was pleased to see echoes of JP2's beautiful teachings in the story. This is not just a romance though; it would be unfair to classify it as such. It's part romance, fantasy, and historical fiction, all wrapped up in one. Capable, intelligent Claire and loyal, loving Jamie are at the center of this sweeping novel. You won't be able to put it down.<br />
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<b><i>The Mother Daughter Book Club</i></b> <b><i>Series </i></b>by Heather Vogel Frederick. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy zipping through this bookish and girlish series. It celebrates the bond between mothers and daughters, families, great books, and fellowship. We read as creative Megan, writer Emma, athletic Cassidy, and all-around talented Jess grow through the ups and downs of sixth grade all the way to sixteen, one book club pick at a time. One more book in the series due for publishing. <i>What will be the final book club selection? Any guesses?</i><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Better Than Before</i> by Gretchen Rubin. Utterly readable, <i>Better Than Before</i> is a study of everyday habits and a natural extension of her Happiness books. I liked the Happiness books <i>more</i> than this one, but that didn't stop me from nerding out over Rubin's insightful research into her topic. She uses a self-created Four Tendencies framework to organize the book. I'm an Obliger. This would explain why I often try to set up unique ways of gaining accountability when setting life goals, large and small. <a href="https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1950137/Four-Tendencies-January-2015">Take Rubin's quiz</a> to find out what kind of person you are as it relates to habits: an Obliger, a Rebel, an Upholder, or a Questioner. Also: <i><a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-day-i-realized-i-am-in-gretchen.html">I'm in the booooooook!</a></i><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Wednesday Wars</i> by Gary D. Schmidt. This top-5-favorite-so-far selection is a scoop on my upcoming What I've been reading post. I finished this book not too long ago, and it was such a relief to sink into the witty (but not too witty for its own good) writing, likable characters, and glimpse into adolescence during the Vietnam War era. I don't claim to be a Shakespeare fan, but I very much appreciated how his plays were woven into the narrative of Holling Hoodhood's seventh grade year. Can you feel fondness for a book right after you read it? I did.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer </i>by Fr. Roderick Vonhögen. I really enjoyed Fr. Roderick's story of coming into the priesthood and his determined and blessed usage of new media to evangelize the world. His book is a study in how being the person God made you to be is all He wants. Fans of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, gaming, technology, and comics will enjoy this book. <br />
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UPDATE: I figured out <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/07/whats-missing-from-my-list-of-books.html">what's missing from this list</a>.<br />
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<i><b>What's in your top five so far this year? </b></i><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">* Achieve the umlaut over the letter o by:</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1) holding down alt + u</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2) let go of the keys after you see highlighted quotation marks</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">3) type the letter o</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">At least, that's what happened on my MacBook Pro using Blogger.</span></i></b><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-67991666240712222982015-06-25T08:03:00.001-07:002015-06-25T08:10:22.147-07:00On encouraging creativity in your husband (or wife)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryDtEWLbYyIJPLjfNeXRzFennMUFN7HKgzl0HQT4Mudwmy_Z7EVo1NS8LW_kKCA9lsjaDKL9RaqFeVOd0xwgv2lliGoTJS860biLKPKm3ix78_1ZEGg-xRfB6pXwl5iXmfNJwRWh6fQg/s1600/photo-79.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryDtEWLbYyIJPLjfNeXRzFennMUFN7HKgzl0HQT4Mudwmy_Z7EVo1NS8LW_kKCA9lsjaDKL9RaqFeVOd0xwgv2lliGoTJS860biLKPKm3ix78_1ZEGg-xRfB6pXwl5iXmfNJwRWh6fQg/s400/photo-79.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Mother's Day treat to myself: new art supplies!</i></td></tr>
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I have been feeling the pull (the very need, it seems) towards creative outlets for over a year now. I am creeping slowly towards more actual writing, reading encouraging books and blogs about creativity, and dreaming a little bigger.<br />
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I've always been creative. I loved dramatic play and the arty extracurriculars as a kid. I really loved the old, light blue typewriter I had as an older elementary student. It was delightful hearing the click-clack of the keys as I typed. Naming my characters was very nearly the best part of writing.<br />
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I lost sight of some of that creativity as I got older, figuring things out, being <i>angsty</i> in my twenties. (<i>Wink.</i>) Motherhood in my thirties, with all its beautiful, messy glory, has helped zero back in on what energizes me.<br />
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My husband is an artist. He is trained in fine art and graphic design but seems to enjoy digital art and making costumes the most lately. (Did you know people sculpt amazing costume pieces out of EVA foam?) He also sings really well.<br />
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We met at a community theater. He was the main Nazi in <i>Cabaret</i>. I was a Cabaret Patron, a fancy title for <i>extra. </i>It has been easier for him to stay involved in theater as our children were born, and I have been okay with that thus far.<br />
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Nowadays, I'm at home, facilitating our homeschool and volunteering at church, and my husband works in design. <br />
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Lately, we've been having an ongoing discussion about how to encourage each other creatively. We ask questions like this:<br />
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<li><i>Could I get away to write once a week?</i></li>
<li><i>Should I blog more?</i></li>
<li><i>Shouldn't our next house have an art studio for you and an office for me?</i></li>
<li><i>What are our long-term creative goals?</i></li>
<li><i>What could we be doing every day to reach those?</i></li>
<li><i>How can we make sure we talk about this regularly? </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I think this might involve an early Friday evening happy hour and a snack.)</span></li>
<li><i>How can we make more time for you to work on costume pieces?</i></li>
<li><i>How can we meet our family's growing needs (and some wants) while leaving room for creative outlets? </i></li>
<li><i>How can we observe and gently encourage our kids' emerging talents?</i></li>
<li><i>How can we discern for and allow the Holy Spirit to breathe life into our pursuits? </i></li>
<li><i>Could we work on something together?</i></li>
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<b>Considering these possibilities has been invigorating and exciting. I am curious what other couples do to encourage each other creatively, in a large and everyday sense. Big dreams and practicalities. Share in the comments, if you'd like!</b><br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-14985967991809427212015-06-15T14:14:00.000-07:002015-07-15T13:59:41.797-07:00What I've been reading (June 2015)I've been reading a lot this month, but it's been pretty light reading with small, quick doses of one fine literature selection.<br />
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You might remember <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-ive-been-reading-may-2015.html">this huge stack on my dresser</a> from last month. I've been working my way through it. First up was:<br />
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<b><i>Shopaholic to the Stars</i></b> by Sophie Kinsella. I've giggled, chuckled, and been thoroughly amused by her other books, and I was excited to read this latest installment of Becky Bloomwood's adventures in shopping. (<i>But why? I don't even like shopping that much.)</i> Except there wasn't a whole lot of shopping in this one. I like to read what Becky puts together. The focus was mostly on Tarquin and Suze (Suz-ee or Sooz, you think?) and Becky working a celebrity angle. I finished it but didn't enjoy it as much as the others. I was surprised by the ending, too. It seemed like a ploy or trick. Next, I tried to read:<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Dragonfly in Amber </i>(Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon, but I abandoned it a little ways in. I abandoned it in a "I'll likely come back to this but am just not in the mood for it right now" kind of way. Not being able to pronounce words, places, and names drives me a little batty. (Why didn't I look up how to pronounce Sassenach sooner?) All of the French names were getting to me. I enjoyed the beginning of the book (wow, a complete turnaround from the end of the first in this series!), but then, I decided that it was too much for right now. I also abandoned the new Brooke Shields memoir about her mom a few pages in. Then, I moved onto the fun...<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Pies and Prejudice </b>(</i>The Mother-Daughter Book Club, #4<i>)</i> by Heather Vogel Frederick. These books are too fun to read. The author went all out for the ending of this one. I guess you have to when your book is inspired by <b><i>Pride and Prejudice</i></b>! There's a big dose of all things English, if that's your cup of tea.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I also read another Liane Moriarty book this month. <b><i>The Husband's Secret</i></b> had a secret I just couldn't buy into, but I kept reading it because I wanted to see what happened with another plot in the story. Moriarty can pull her reader in with a great narrative voice, but so much of this book wasn't believable. The epilogue plain ticked me off. Too much cheese. To date, <b><i>Big Little Lies</i></b> is my favorite of this author's books.</span><br />
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Instead of grabbing another book off of my precarious stack, I found myself floating over to the Mother-Daughter Book Club books at my next fairly unnecessary library trip. <b><i>Home for the Holidays</i></b> (book #5) made its way home with me and was quickly finished. For being Becca's story, there wasn't much focus on her and her family's situation. Still, I'm glad I read it, for now I want to read the Betsy-Tacy series, which <a href="http://readingcatholic.com/a-literary-pilgrimage-betsy-tacy/">Nancy at Reading Catholic</a> often mentions! They sound like books that I would love but never discovered as a kid. <br />
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Next to last this month was Austin Kleon's new <b><i>Show Your Work!: 10 Ten Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered</i></b>. A very nice follow up to <b><i>Steal Like an Artist</i></b> (<a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-5-favorite-books-of-2014.html">one of my top 5 favorites I read last year</a>), this book is another shot in the arm for creatives. I bought new art supplies and a Moleskin because of him.<br />
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Finally, I read Rainbow Rowell's <b><i>Landline</i></b>, which showcases her talent of writing dialogue. She's like Moriarty in that her narrative voice is very strong. The magical plot device almost made me ditch the book, but I really like her novels and wanted to see it through. The main character's husband, Neal, seemed underdeveloped. What was I supposed to learn about him? I felt like he was supposed to gain some insight by the end, but it never really happened. And why did Georgie love him so much? What was their connection? Much of this book didn't feel fully realized, but I'm glad I read it. My favorite Rowell book is still <b><i>Eleanor & Park</i></b>, followed by <b><i>Fangirl</i></b>, and this is a distant third. <br />
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I also reached a milestone in my classic literature selection this month. I hit 200 (out of 600+) digital pages on my Kindle app. Whoo-hoo! I think I can, I think I can......if I finish, I'll let myself watch the movie (again)! I should be done by now, but I kept (keep!) picking up other books and sabotaging myself.<br />
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<b><i>Tell me what you're reading in the comments. Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit, as usual. <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/06/what-ive-been-reading-lately-the-new-and-the-notable/">Click over there</a> for more what-have-you-been-reading fun.</i></b><br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-54061263050198989512015-05-15T14:01:00.001-07:002015-05-17T08:21:37.408-07:00End-of-the-year homeschool thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Halfway done with the month and still haven't crowned Mary</i></td></tr>
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More than one person has asked lately when school is over for my family. Quite oddly, the question caught me off guard. <br />
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I did not have an answer.<br />
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Last year, I had an almost five-month-old this time of year and just up and quit at the end of May. I hadn't planned on when to end our school year, and I finally realized I could. If I remember right, I might have hoped to school a bit through the summer, in a reduced capacity (e.g. math games, reading, handwriting). Instead, I <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/10/31-days-of-letting-stuff-go-introduction.html">let go</a>. (<i>Good call.</i>)<br />
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But then we just stopped. Full stop. It helped that it was husband's birthday and Memorial Day Weekend. The time period certainly encouraged me. It was a good time to stop.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i>A particularly long game of Corners</i></td></tr>
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This year, I could do the same and might very well still.<br />
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However, I would like to finish two things:<br />
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1) <b>listening to and doing the map work for Story of the World, Volume One, the Ancient World</b>. We also enjoy interlibrary loaning lots of the literature suggestions in the companion activity guide; so, we might go ahead and do that, too.<br />
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2) <b>Right Start Math Level B</b>. We are approximately ten lessons from the end.<br />
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So, maybe we'll stop when that's all done. Sounds pretty good.<br />
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<b><i>Are you about done with the homeschool year? Do you have a favorite date you like to end on? Or are you like me and want to complete something first? Tell me in the comments!</i></b><br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-31293297642527357922015-05-13T07:28:00.000-07:002015-05-13T07:28:49.600-07:00What I've been reading (May 2015)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Real-life dresser stack waiting to fall over</i></td></tr>
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It's the fun time of the month again: time to share what I've been reading with the <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/05/summer-reading-guide-rejects-quick-lit/">Modern Mrs. Darcy Quick Lit linkup</a>! </div>
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I had brought home a big stack from the library a while ago, and I just couldn't gain traction with some of the titles. I'll share what I abandoned farther below, but here's what got shaken out of the stack:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Pen-Mother-Daughter-Book-Club/dp/1442408480"><i><b>Dear Pen Pal</b></i></a>, the next book in <i>The Mother-Daughter Book Club Series</i> by Heather Vogel Frederick, affectionately imitates Jean Webster books, especially <i>Daddy Long-Legs</i>. I needed something easy and breezy, and this book-themed book provided a nice break. That being said, I couldn't shake an adolescent lit professor's comments about <i>Daddy Long Legs</i> being kind of creepy from my mind because of who Judy's benefactor turns out to be and what that means for the story. I should read <i>Daddy Long Legs </i>again with a critical eye for I can't remember much about it except its epistolary format and that I liked it well enough. A bonus about the Mother-Daughter series? The Concord setting is fun and pleasant. I've been to Boston a couple of times but never Concord. I'd love to visit!<br />
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Besides these two books, I've also been moving through the last <a href="http://www.wellreadmom.com/">Well-Read Mom</a> selection for the year at a respectable pace, but you probably won't hear about that until July. Reading an electronic version of that book is undoubtedly helping me not be overwhelmed by its heft, though I don't enjoy staring at the smartphone that long. I also thumbed through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Rituals-How-Artists-Work/dp/0307273601"><i>Daily Rituals: How Artists Work</i></a> by Mason Currey for some interesting factoids about the various schedules and routines of famous creatives.<br />
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This month, I abandoned:<br />
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<b><i>Astonish Me</i></b> by Maggie Shipstead because the storyline just wasn't grabbing me after a chapter or so, as well as<br />
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<i><b>The Signature of All Things</b> </i>by Elizabeth Gilbert despite its killer description and title, and finally,<br />
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<b><i>Brave New World</i></b> by Aldous Huxley. I read it in high school but wanted to read it again. I had to let it go after a while. I needed a lighter read that the book couldn't provide. I will return to it eventually.<br />
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<i><b>What have you been reading?</b></i><br />
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P.S. Read <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/search/label/books">more bookish posts</a>!<br />
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Happy Easter, friends! And welcome to another month rounding up what I've been reading and when I link up with the lovely Anne Bogel <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/04/reading-lately-new-notable-quick-lit/">over at Modern Mrs. Darcy</a>. Some great reads this month!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scary-Close-Dropping-Finding-Intimacy/dp/078521318X">Scary Close</a> by Donald Miller. This is full of short essays revolving around searching and taking the risk for true intimacy. I appreciated Miller's honesty, insight, and how he sought out the advice of men he respected.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Before-Mastering-Everyday/dp/0385348614/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429651106&sr=1-1&keywords=better+than+before">Better Than Before</a> by Gretchen Rubin. I've really grown to enjoy Rubin's writing, and once I started my pre-ordered copy, I went right through, <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-day-i-realized-i-am-in-gretchen.html">except for the part where I stopped and shouted with glee</a>. Rubin (I really want to call her Gretchen since I'm so familiar with her work) conceptualized a nice framework to elucidate those notions about habits that you've sorta kinda noticed but hadn't fully sank in yet. I imagine I will be writing more about this book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Geekpriest-Confessions-New-Media-Pioneer/dp/1616366761">Geekpriest: Confessions of a New Media Pioneer</a> by Fr. Roderick Vonhogen (with the umlaut over the second o, I have to figure this out, will update). It was so fun to read about the life of this priest after years of hearing about his podcast from my husband. If you like new media, Hobbits, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Catholicism, and memoir, this book is for you. If you like only one of those things, this book is still for you. Fr. Roderick's winning personality comes shining through this book. Check it out.<br />
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<b><i>What have you read lately? Any of these?</i></b><br />
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Yes, readers, you read that correctly!<br />
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<i>I am in a Gretchen Rubin book.</i><br />
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I was merrily scooting along in her newest book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Before-Mastering-Everyday/dp/0385348614">Better Than Before</a>, when I let out a whoop during the transfer from page 196 to page 197.<br />
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<i>"I'm in Gretchen Rubin's book! Oh, my goodness! I'm in the book!"</i><br />
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But wait, I thought. I can't be sure. Maybe someone else failed to continue her rosary habit after Lent and commented on Gretchen's blog about it. I looked myself up on Disqus (and I usually kind of dislike how transparent Disqus makes all your comments) and followed it to Gretchen's <a href="http://www.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2014/05/the-danger-of-the-finish-line/">blog post on the finish line</a> and how it affects a new habit.<br />
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There I was! I was right! Edited for the book, but there I was.<br />
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I scooped up my laptop and book and ran to my husband to show him. He smiled, congratulated me, and perhaps wondered if I was a loon.<br />
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<i>What a thrill. </i><br />
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Gretchen's so fun. I love reading and talking about all the things she writes about in her Happiness books and, now, her newest book. She's great at interacting with fans on social media and on her blog, which I enjoy.<br />
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Sadly, my inclusion in the book recounts a failed attempt at keeping up a daily rosary habit a few Lents ago. I hit the finish line and dropped the habit. Womp, womp. <br />
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Now, my husband, on the other hand, he set the same goal for Lent one year and kept it up. And do you want to know why? <i>He attached praying the rosary to his car ride to and from work. </i>He gets two or three decades in on the way and the other decades on the way home. Sometimes, he walks into the house still praying to himself. (I like that- the kids get to see him in action.) He laments not praying the rosary on the weekends, and we have talked about how he doesn't do it because it's not attached to anything else. <br />
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I did not attach the rosary to anything during my Lent. I just white-knuckled it through, forcing myself to pray. <br />
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I've finished Better Than Before now, and I just loved it. I'm going to go through it again and do some freewriting to her questions that help us know ourselves. I'm sure the book will come up again here.<br />
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Until then, I am just enjoying this little thrill.<br />
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<b><i>Have you read Better Than Before? I recommend it! Any new insights on a particular habit of yours? </i></b><br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-11489242516077589042015-03-15T06:05:00.002-07:002015-03-15T06:05:17.772-07:00What I've Been Reading (Quick Lit - March 2015)I've only read one book this month, and I've nibbled at others. I restrained myself from reading books I really wanted to dig into because I was trying to read my <a href="http://www.wellreadmom.com/">Well-Read Mom</a> selection for this month: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betrothed-Sir-Walter-Scott-ebook/dp/B0084AGB8I/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426272310&sr=1-5&keywords=the+betrothed">The Betrothed</a> by Alessandro Mazoni. But then sickness invaded the house, and I am abandoning The Betrothed for now. Instead, I will order the next WRM selection and institute a schedule of "read some of this, get to read some of that." Hopefully, this will allow for some recreational reading in addition to the usually tougher books prescribed in WRM. <br />
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Before I started The Betrothed, I read one book after vacation. It was:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bel-Canto-LP-A-Novel/dp/0061719862">Bel Canto</a> by Ann Patchett (paperback, library) - I was a bit disappointed in this book after reading all the good reviews. I mean, I enjoyed it. I did. But I think the ending spoiled reading it for me. I didn't buy into the ending at all (the very end, if that makes sense to those who have read it). I didn't really buy into one of the main relationships in the story either, which I realized a moment ago. But the writing was lovely; Patchett has an observant eye. I even took two book pictures with my phone to capture two passages! I thought my favorite character was Mr. Hosokawa, but truly, I was most touched by the Frenchman with the scarf. </div>
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<b><i>Have you read Bel Canto? What have you read lately? Linking up with <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/03/reading-lately-new-notable/">Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit linkup</a>! Check it out for book reviews and recommendations. </i></b></div>
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-23719030923053459322015-03-13T12:41:00.000-07:002015-03-13T14:06:46.158-07:00I need some inspiration....for a new blog title.I started this blog almost a year ago out of the sheer need for creative expression, an outlet.<br />
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I've outgrown the title.</div>
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But I don't know what to move towards.</div>
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I could use my first and last name, but I am not sure I want such search ability on the web. (<i>But don't I?</i> I secretly pine for a by-line on a magazine article, newspaper column, or website. <i>There! I said it!</i>)</div>
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<i>So, what's the difference?</i> </div>
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Somehow, a blog with my name seems quite different from being published somewhere....legit. Ouch, that doesn't seem fair, but if I'm being honest, that's what I was really thinking. I suppose I just mean publishing somewhere already established and respected.</div>
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I want to write more here, but I am still getting comfortable with <i>what </i>exactly I want to write about. Maybe if I just <i>write more</i>, I'll gain some inspiration for a new title. There's an idea. Ha.</div>
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I'll <i>have</i> some inspiration instead of being <i>in need</i> of it.</div>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-59940659776920995502015-02-21T09:43:00.001-08:002015-02-21T09:48:39.965-08:00Quick Lit - February 2015It's time for another Quick Lit post, even if I am a little late to the linkup. I was able to read a bit more this month due to supplying myself with more books I actually <i>want</i> to read <i>and</i> going on vacation. A little road reading, if you will.<br />
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Since we met last, I have read:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0440212561"><i>Outlander</i></a> by Diana Gabaldon. (interlibrary loan, hardback) I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, and I did, indeed, find out. I've never read a book quite like this, and though I was disturbed by a couple of choice scenes, I found this book enjoyable for its fine characters, plot, romance, and history. (This was my copy's cover.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Little-Lies-Liane-Moriarty/dp/0399167064/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424538922&sr=1-1&keywords=big+little+lies"><i>Big Little Lies</i></a> by Liane Moriarty. (hardback, interlibrary loan) Wow, does this author ever know how to weave a story. I could not put this down. I knew the risks to not putting it down, but the story was so driving, I just kept on going. However, I couldn't stand the characters for the first 50 pages. I thought: this is vapid! Why are people giving this such high reviews? I stuck with it for all the high marks I'd seen, and it paid off. </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Daughter-Book-Heather-Vogel-Frederick/dp/1416970797/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424538992&sr=1-2&keywords=mother+daughter+book+club"><i>The Mother-Daughter Book Club</i></a> by Heather Vogel Frederickson. (hardback, library) Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy (<a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/02/quick-lit/">where this linkup is hosted</a>) has mentioned this series several times on her blog, and the idea of mothers and daughters reading treasured novels together warmed my heart so much I had to get the first two books. Easy, fun read, though the fat jokes seemed gratuitous.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Much-About-Anne-Mother-Daughter-Book/dp/1416982698/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y"><i>Much Ado About Anne</i></a> (The Mother-Daughter Book Club) by Heather Vogel Frederickson. (paperback, library) I couldn't just grab one MDBC book, especially since #2 revolves around my beloved Anne of Green Gables. I liked it for its theme.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMWwvG9Zy3Lg6qM-25P24cFQOfjgxUUHDRdl0GwnMfJEEIVCllCuRbthHrNJdg0ulag6oT3k1RxFDNDnSDU9xOvDiNF9MAwkhnl8n2PCG1gBkbx1iOq3i7ZWB4IWIwteWqVQb8zD0rkg/s1600/Fangirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMWwvG9Zy3Lg6qM-25P24cFQOfjgxUUHDRdl0GwnMfJEEIVCllCuRbthHrNJdg0ulag6oT3k1RxFDNDnSDU9xOvDiNF9MAwkhnl8n2PCG1gBkbx1iOq3i7ZWB4IWIwteWqVQb8zD0rkg/s1600/Fangirl.jpg" height="400" width="268" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fangirl-Novel-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1250030951/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424539038&sr=1-1&keywords=fangirl"><i>Fangirl</i></a> by Rainbow Rowell. (hardback, library) I was so excited to read another Rowell selection after <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/06/twitterature-june-2014.html">my beloved Eleanor and Park</a>. I really enjoyed reading about Cath and her first year at college. She was a well-developed character with a talent I loved reading about (writing). I know nothing about fanfiction; so, this was a nice introduction to that world, despite that I found Cath's fanfic (and the Gemma T. Jones excerpts) distracting and a wee bit forced. Engaging read, authentic heroine, nice capture of family drama.</div>
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These books were definitely on the lighter side of reading (<i>save Outlander, whew!</i>), and I am gearing up for some tougher book club reading. My spiritual reading selection is slow-going. Good but slow-going. I'll share it when I'm done with it this time next year. Ha!</div>
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<b><i>Tell me what you've been reading. Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2015/02/quick-lit/">Quick Lit linkup</a>!</i></b></div>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-15900399335348577812015-01-15T19:28:00.000-08:002015-01-15T19:28:59.549-08:00Quick Lit - January 2015 (formerly Twitterature)I finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peace-Like-River-Leif-Enger/dp/0802139256" target="_blank">one book this month</a>.<div>
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I finished it on Christmas Eve morning, amidst the occasional howls and cries and jubilations of young children.</div>
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Still, it was fitting.</div>
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That book was:</div>
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There were lots of mentions of this book at <a href="http://www.modernmrsdarcy.com/" target="_blank">Modern Mrs Darcy</a>, and I was curious. I'm so glad I read it! The characters are extremely engaging; they just jump out of the page at you. I don't know if I've found a more lovable girl than Swede since Anne Shirley. (That's saying a lot!) The main character is Reuben, and his inner monologue combined with his loyalty to his family made for a memorable brother. The book gets a bit hazy somewhere in the middle, but I had to see the way this one turned out, so I kept on reading. I can easily see why people were calling it their favorite book of all time.</div>
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<b><i>What did you read this month? Have you read this one? Linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy for Quick Lit!</i></b></div>
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<a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-88429919702980546712014-12-30T06:09:00.002-08:002014-12-30T06:09:33.317-08:00My 5 Favorite Books of 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year, I remember reading internet chatter about the best books people had read. I was quite sad that I couldn't even <i>remember</i> what books I had read! I started tracking on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, and it has been quite the handy tool. <br />
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Thus, as the end of 2014 draws ever closer, I joyfully give you my five favorite books of 2014, regardless of publication date:<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nesting-Place-Doesnt-Perfect-Beautiful/dp/0310337909/ref=asap_B00H6APMBO?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">The Nesting Place</a> by Myquillyn Smith. One of two books I pre-ordered this year, I was super excited to read her book, which was quite nicely not just a repetition of her blog. Smith really spoke to me about letting go of perfection and just <i>trying </i>something new in your house. What's the worst that can happen? You have to paint again? There was so much gentle guidance, plain-spoken (but not harsh) realism, and great decorating ideas in her book. It was so good I read it twice from cover-to-cover, once in hardback, once on Kindle. (That's right. I bought two formats of the book.) Smith's tagline is <i>'it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.'</i> That lines right up with my current mantra: <i>don't let the perfect get in the way of the good.</i><br />
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2. <i> </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giver-Quartet-Lois-Lowry/dp/0544336267/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419894621&sr=1-1&keywords=the+giver" target="_blank">The Giver</a><span id="goog_40133244"></span><span id="goog_40133245"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> by Lois Lowry. This book's been around for a while, but I just finally got to it at the end of this year. It was a quick, straightforward read, but it's simplicity, truth, and heroism remains with me. I was really struck by this book and was a bit surprised at how struck I was. <br />
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3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Park-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1250012570/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419894955&sr=1-1&keywords=eleanor+and+park" target="_blank">Eleanor and Park </a>by Rainbow Rowell. Oh, man, did I ever love reading this book. I keep saying that I wouldn't have found them so charming and lovable if I could actually hear the characters saying "<i>God" </i>as exasperatingly as it was written. But holy heck, I just loved it. <br />
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steal-Like-Artist-Things-Creative/dp/0761169253/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419895156&sr=1-1&keywords=steal+like+an+artist" target="_blank">Steal Like an Artist</a> by Austin Kleon. I'd never read a book like this, and I found it so encouraging, creative, and fun. I would like to read it again. Very inspiring.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hannah-Coulter-Wendell-Berry/dp/1593760787/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419895297&sr=1-1&keywords=hannah+coulter" target="_blank">Hannah Coulter</a> by Wendell Berry. I would not have read this book if it weren't for being invited to join a <a href="http://www.wellreadmom.com/" target="_blank">Well Read Mom</a> group. I'm so glad it was put on my radar. When I think back about reading it, I just remember all the peacefulness and wise words I experienced, like these:<br />
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<i>You think you will never forget any of this, you will remember it always just the way it was. But you can't remember it the way it was. To know it, you have to be living in the presence of it right as it is happening. It can return only by surprise. Speaking of these things tells you that there are no words for them that are equal to them or that can restore them to your mind.</i><i><br /></i><i></i></blockquote>
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<i>And so you have a life that you are living only now, now and now and now, gone before you can speak of it, and you must be thankful for living day by day, moment by moment, in this presence.</i> </blockquote>
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<b><i>What were your favorites this year? Any of these, by chance? <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2014/12/favorite-books-2014/" target="_blank">Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for an exploration of all our favorites in 2014</a>.</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ZHMkgbhExnY%252FU3PN9EW4p6I%252FAAAAAAAAAE4%252F75cx38lsPVA%252Fs1600%252Fnesting%25252Bplace%25252Bcover.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 277px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 144px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ZHMkgbhExnY%252FU3PN9EW4p6I%252FAAAAAAAAAE4%252F75cx38lsPVA%252Fs1600%252Fnesting%25252Bplace%25252Bcover.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 277px; opacity: 1; position: absolute; top: 144px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-85539982320585468112014-12-20T09:56:00.002-08:002014-12-20T09:56:15.036-08:00An Advent Countdown with Books: 2014 EditionIt is satisfying to have this be our third Advent countdown with books! What fun to look back at previous years. We started this tradition in <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-advent-countdown-with-books.html" target="_blank">2012</a>, and we enjoyed it once again in <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2013/12/an-advent-countdown-with-books-2013.html" target="_blank">2013</a>. <br />
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I love a lot of the titles on these lists, but if one thing haunts me a little, it's that the books are so serious- and I've <i>already</i> <i>held back</i> on including some of the more popular make-you-weep books in the past. My oldest is almost seven; I haven't wanted to overwhelm him with themes that are too heavy. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY2OXTxc0v9o5U91Ssnc10ffctZ-APFZtX5fJmVtcCL4acpZbFAk82atPyIMx9plIU738aivYBSlQuedYKiQ1hOQZlsBRKGjWNCMZ8ggphb9H_bvs-0y_QAJEOJENuxLXmMI3IyDDTlk/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY2OXTxc0v9o5U91Ssnc10ffctZ-APFZtX5fJmVtcCL4acpZbFAk82atPyIMx9plIU738aivYBSlQuedYKiQ1hOQZlsBRKGjWNCMZ8ggphb9H_bvs-0y_QAJEOJENuxLXmMI3IyDDTlk/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The only paper I had in large supply was a roll of easel paper. I punched out 1" holes with a hole punch in both purple and pink, representing the weeks of Advent. This year, I labeled starting with the 30th of November.</i></td></tr>
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So, this year, we will make sure to balance things out with a little fun (though, where there is Tomie dePaola there is almost always fun).<br />
<br />
Here we go with this year's list:<br />
<br />
Sun 30: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hallmark-Christmas-KOB9034-First-Recordable/dp/B005WYIYWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386018679&sr=8-1&keywords=the+very+first+christmas+hallmark" target="_blank">The Very First Christmas</a> (audio book recorded by husband's parents)<br />
Mon 1: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Candy-Cane-Enhanced-Inspirational-ebook/dp/B003WUYRHC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417325290&sr=1-1&keywords=the+legend+of+the+candy+cane" target="_blank">The Legend of the Candy Cane</a> (Walburg & Bernardin) <b><i>New!</i></b><br />
Tue 2: The First Christmas (a book of biblical text and puzzles) <i><b>New!</b></i><br />
Wed 3: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tomies-Little-Christmas-Pageant-dePaola/dp/0399239596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386018557&sr=8-1&keywords=tomie%27s+little+christmas+pageant" target="_blank">Tomie's Little Christmas Pageant</a> (dePaola)<br />
Thu 4: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Favourites-Charles-Dickens/dp/0881012637/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417325128&sr=1-2&keywords=a+christmas+carol+boddy" target="_blank">A Christmas Carol</a> (Boddy) <b><i>New!</i></b><br />
Fri 5: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Nicholas-Story-Santa-Claus/dp/0745949134/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386016873&sr=1-1&keywords=saint+nicholas+the+story+of+the+real+santa+claus" target="_blank">Saint Nicholas: the story of the real Santa Claus</a> (Joslin & Cann)<br />
Sat 6: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Nicholas-Story-Christmas-Legend/dp/0758613415/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1" target="_blank">Saint Nicholas: the real story of the Christmas legend</a> (Stiegmeyer & Ellison)<br />
Sun 7: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Immaculate-Conception-Package-10/dp/0899425038/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386017599&sr=1-9&keywords=immaculate+conception" target="_blank">Immaculate Conception</a> (booklet - Winkler)<br />
Mon 8: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Our-Lady-Guadalupe-Francisco-Serrano/dp/1554980747/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386017357&sr=1-1&keywords=our+lady+of+guadalupe+pop+up" target="_blank">Our Lady of Guadalupe</a> (pop-up - Serrano, Davalos, & Guzman)<br />
Tue 9: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/St-Josephs-Story-Geraldine-Guadagno/dp/1593251734/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386019286&sr=8-1&keywords=st.+joseph%27s+story" target="_blank">St. Joseph's Story</a> - (Guadagno & Lo Cascio)<br />
Wed 10: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Coming-House-Joseph-Slate/dp/0399234101/ref=pd_sim_b_9?ie=UTF8&refRID=08XJACRKJN3BSA379JVT" target="_blank">Who is Coming to Our House?</a> (Slate & Wolff) <i><b>New!</b></i><br />
Thu 11: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Our-Lady-Guadalupe-Carmen-Bernier-Grand/dp/0761461353/ref=pd_sim_b_3" target="_blank">Our Lady of Guadalupe</a> (Bernier-Grand & Engel)<br />
Fri 12: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nativity-Play-Butterworth-Inkpen-Knight/dp/0340398949/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417325678&sr=8-1&keywords=the+nativity+play" target="_blank">The Nativity Play</a> (Butterworth & Inkpen) <i><b>New!</b></i><br />
Sat 13: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/An-Angel-Came-Nazareth-Templar/dp/0811847985/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386019586&sr=8-1&keywords=an+angel+came+to+nazareth" target="_blank">An Angel Came to Nazareth</a> (Kneen)<br />
Sun 14: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bambinelli-Sunday-A-Christmas-Blessing/dp/1616366494" target="_blank">Bambinelli Sunday</a> (Wellborn & Engelhart)<br />
Mon 15: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Joy-midi-Kate-DiCamillo/dp/0763649961/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417326668&sr=8-1&keywords=great+joy" target="_blank">Great Joy</a> (DiCamillo & Ibatoulline)<br />
Tue 16: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Las-Posadas-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0698119010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386017649&sr=1-1&keywords=night+of+las+posadas" target="_blank">The Night of Las Posadas</a> (dePaola)<br />
Wed 17: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Prayers-Christmas-Maite-Roche/dp/158617505X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417326948&sr=8-1&keywords=my+first+book+of+christmas+prayers" target="_blank">My First Book of Christmas Prayers</a> (Roche)<br />
Thu 18: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-King-Wenceslas-J-Neale/dp/0525444203/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386017983&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=good+king+wenceslas+henterly" target="_blank">Good King Wenceslas</a> (Neale & Henterly)<br />
Fri 19: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Uno-Tres-Posada-Virginia-Kroll/dp/0670059323" target="_blank">Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada!</a> (Kroll) <b><i>New!</i></b><br />
Sat 20: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Clown-God-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0156181924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386019169&sr=8-1&keywords=the+clown+of+god" target="_blank">The Clown of God</a> (dePaola)<br />
Sun 21: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Christmas-Patricia-Pingry/dp/0824918452/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1386007966&sr=8-3&keywords=the+story+of+christmas" target="_blank">The Story of Christmas</a> (Pingry & Thornburgh)<br />
Mon 22: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Room-Little-One-Christmas-Tale/dp/141692518X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386019798&sr=8-1&keywords=room+for+a+little+one" target="_blank">Room for a Little One</a> (Waddell & Cockcroft)<br />
Tue 23: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Poinsettia-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0698115678/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386008769&sr=1-1&keywords=legend+of+the+poinsettia" target="_blank">The Legend of the Poinsettia</a> (dePaola)<br />
Wed 24: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Nativity-Ruth-Sanderson/dp/0802853714/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1386019990&sr=8-4&keywords=the+nativity" target="_blank">The Nativity</a> (Sanderson)<br />
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I traditionally end with the nativity reading from Luke out of our New American Bible (NAB), but I decided to go for a book as well this year. We will be sure to use the Bible, too. <br />
<br />
I lined up some feasts again this year: St. Nick (6th), St. Juan Diego (9th), Our Lady of Guadalupe (12th), but I let go of the other feasts (St. Lucy, St. Stephen). I thought about trying to line up the <a href="http://www.catholic.org/clife/advent/advent.php?id=7" target="_blank">O Antiphons</a> with books, but I let that go, too. <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2013_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Last year</a>, I tried to assigned books to the days after Christmas- <i>the 12 days of Christmas!</i> We read the books from those 12 days (some great books on St. Stephen, King Wenceslas, and the Wise Men!), but we didn't always read them when I had assigned them. We were juggling post-Christmas burnout (including recovering from a bad bug), buying a new van, last minute baby prep, and a New Year's birthday for our oldest during that time. <i>This year, </i>we are sticking to the 30th through the 24th because that's what we got done! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFPUfEMLgfvsH-HsrhGznj2OJTjW_2t0NKrrYNBOceIUAweXPnbdw1CCjBJQ0RFUEpFIdzwh684WJ2EnBYGGf5elvbVfAJG3dSndjM5rO0dt5hbVJeKgUpPe5YImgKbdyT9zXOX6LAq8/s1600/photo-75.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFPUfEMLgfvsH-HsrhGznj2OJTjW_2t0NKrrYNBOceIUAweXPnbdw1CCjBJQ0RFUEpFIdzwh684WJ2EnBYGGf5elvbVfAJG3dSndjM5rO0dt5hbVJeKgUpPe5YImgKbdyT9zXOX6LAq8/s1600/photo-75.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>What's left of the countdown and what's already been read</i></td></tr>
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This Christmas, I've been <a href="http://anneoftheinternetandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/11/what-falls-away-at-christmas.html" target="_blank">trying to really crystallize what Advent and Christmas traditions serve my family</a>. Unlike other things, the Advent Countdown with Books did not fall away! I used what I had, grabbed some new-to-us books from the library, and got them wrapped up. Not much different this year, but <i>it doesn't have to be different to be good. </i><br />
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The book countdown utilizes what we already do (read books at bedtime), keeps focus on the reason for the season, and adds an element of fun to our anticipation of Christmas.<br />
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<b><i>What about you? Do you do a bookish countdown? Do you love Tomie dePaola like me? How do you countdown to Christmas, if you even do?</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Giver-Quartet-Lois-Lowry/dp/0440237688" target="_blank">The Giver</a> by Lois Lowry (paperback, library) - I have been meaning to read this for some time and was so glad I did. Simple, horrifying, poignant, and containing a heroic character. I'll have to read this again sometime. I think my library has one of the followup books, too.</div>
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"Lilacs" & "The Long Ago" - two short stories by Mary Lavin (borrowed a booklet) - I don't have pictures or sources for these stories. I had to borrow the booklet printed especially for the book group I belong to since these stories are out of print. I liked Lilacs best despite its uninviting subject matter (dung). Lavin wrote wisely on accepting what is, or reality. </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sweetness-Bottom-Pie-Mystery/dp/0385343493" target="_blank">The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie</a> by Alan Bradley (hardback, library) - I abandoned this book after the mystery on the grounds of Flavia's estate is discovered. This is the second mystery book I have abandoned (the first, sadly, being Maisie Dobbs). I really wanted to like this book, but I had to let it go.</div>
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I'm in the middle of one book I'd hoped to review today, and I started another I am slowly going through. Maybe next month!</div>
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<b><i>What are you reading this month? Read any of these? Tell me about them in the comments. Be sure to visit <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2014/12/christmas-vacation-books/" target="_blank">this month's Quick Lit linkup</a> for more reading recommendations!</i></b></div>
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background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 256px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 108px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-5774193020749250282014-12-09T15:19:00.001-08:002014-12-09T16:22:26.188-08:00What falls away at Christmas: the Christmas card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qvcmbs0ByFqLmM2SsZ7PMAcjcvo0MofAbIltStDoq25i8WoaNfaoRl3aidqK_2tkvfs-jan-dq0GM_QgK4q7vxQRrrV3OB97z_BjAllHU3EXJxYXgPE4xST7XcvkN4NQcuBuqvCNe-A/s1600/What+falls+away+at+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qvcmbs0ByFqLmM2SsZ7PMAcjcvo0MofAbIltStDoq25i8WoaNfaoRl3aidqK_2tkvfs-jan-dq0GM_QgK4q7vxQRrrV3OB97z_BjAllHU3EXJxYXgPE4xST7XcvkN4NQcuBuqvCNe-A/s1600/What+falls+away+at+Christmas.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started a post on Christmas cards on November 17th. I went back and forth. I yammered. I yammered some more, and then, I couldn't come to a conclusion on how to handle this tradition.<br />
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I let the post sit in draft form.<br />
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Fast forward to a whirlwind shopping mall photo session before Thanksgiving. We got a good shot. I came home and started to troll the web for Christmas card deals. I almost pulled the trigger.<br />
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Then, I thought some more about a question I asked on my personal Facebook page:<br />
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<i><b>Do you think most people throw away the Christmas photo cards they receive?</b></i><br />
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Granted, this was a self-selected bunch. I'm sure there were many throw-away-ers that saw my question but didn't want to self-identify because they probably thought they would offer the wrong answer.<br />
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There's no wrong answer to the question. I just wanted to know what most people did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_bwUH06xXIYQa8jnEDMh8N353YFWWv5aaghMzLCqDmtaVJ0GHW0NqhFkTZwM3wFLJsjqKrL4kDL5ZQswMxbOuN4vK2RqL6_Ofzi8Ecy_Kwm-FhD_sBfSbo9OUrfy1Oc4MBQ3Rh9l_HI/s1600/Christmascardsyesno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_bwUH06xXIYQa8jnEDMh8N353YFWWv5aaghMzLCqDmtaVJ0GHW0NqhFkTZwM3wFLJsjqKrL4kDL5ZQswMxbOuN4vK2RqL6_Ofzi8Ecy_Kwm-FhD_sBfSbo9OUrfy1Oc4MBQ3Rh9l_HI/s1600/Christmascardsyesno.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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My informal poll concluded that <b>a little over half of people keep them</b>, a few even said they put them in albums. (Remember, we are talking about photo cards here. Not regular cards.)<br />
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That's what I do. Not that I expect people to do what I do. But that's what I do.<br />
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<i>But isn't it interesting that many of us are just throwing them away? </i><br />
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Is it worth it? All these fancy photo cards? I think they are beautiful, but I've never done the fancy photo card. I just do the original photo cards with a block on the end you can easily cut off. Is the less-fancy photo card even worth it? Is what we go through to get to the photo cards worth it? The time? The money? <br />
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The better question is: <i><b>is it prudent for my family?</b></i><br />
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This year, I did so much hemming and hawing that I finally said: <i>enough!</i> <i>I'm not sending out cards! It's stressing me out!</i><br />
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I'm glad I got our little three dressed in clothes we already had, used a good Living Social deal, and got someone to get all of them looking at the camera. But that's as far as it goes this year.<br />
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<i>The Christmas card....it's what's falling away this Christmas.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2h2ZJ2_Dkokp25B-iOUcEP7VYpUjRBauNGkBfww1ApoBdClDggSjHMBrAjSrg_wQJNWRFtj2C1arFP7733QiT9WBFnMeIAGx_kzu9e3XM1fhzH2pPG2Ic3tbJ-a-9SUYL12Oe1l-9zc/s1600/No+cards!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2h2ZJ2_Dkokp25B-iOUcEP7VYpUjRBauNGkBfww1ApoBdClDggSjHMBrAjSrg_wQJNWRFtj2C1arFP7733QiT9WBFnMeIAGx_kzu9e3XM1fhzH2pPG2Ic3tbJ-a-9SUYL12Oe1l-9zc/s1600/No+cards!.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Tell me what's fallen away at your house this Advent and Christmas. Did you do cards? Or will you do cards?</i></b><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1321040733334890733%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D63%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ettWIdYot5o%252FVF6I-jApxGI%252FAAAAAAAAAmE%252FUFctVTtYZe0%252Fs1600%252FWhat%25252Bfalls%25252Baway%25252Bat%25252BChristmas.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1321040733334890733%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D63%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ettWIdYot5o%252FVF6I-jApxGI%252FAAAAAAAAAmE%252FUFctVTtYZe0%252Fs1600%252FWhat%25252Bfalls%25252Baway%25252Bat%25252BChristmas.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760291375748885152.post-27708887654054120912014-11-16T07:48:00.001-08:002014-11-16T07:48:16.017-08:00What falls away at Christmas: getting the tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qvcmbs0ByFqLmM2SsZ7PMAcjcvo0MofAbIltStDoq25i8WoaNfaoRl3aidqK_2tkvfs-jan-dq0GM_QgK4q7vxQRrrV3OB97z_BjAllHU3EXJxYXgPE4xST7XcvkN4NQcuBuqvCNe-A/s1600/What+falls+away+at+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qvcmbs0ByFqLmM2SsZ7PMAcjcvo0MofAbIltStDoq25i8WoaNfaoRl3aidqK_2tkvfs-jan-dq0GM_QgK4q7vxQRrrV3OB97z_BjAllHU3EXJxYXgPE4xST7XcvkN4NQcuBuqvCNe-A/s1600/What+falls+away+at+Christmas.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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No, I am not suggesting not getting a Christmas tree. (But if that appeals to you, go for it. That was also three negatives in one sentence, but I am <i>not</i> changing it.)<br />
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But I <i>am</i> suggesting that you don't have to lug all your children in two vehicles to the tree farm in the freezing cold. It's possible that one kid won't walk, and you'll have to carry him in his thick winter coat and snow pants on top of your sizable bump of an unborn child that's hiding under <i>your</i> thick winter coat. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYh9PpKww925U-c9K4b408mlf-aUfy4c4Ih5DpMuTqlZ0n3K0NdvenjixDUl9pEleH6EICteECEeeEN8ta1jj7CjOnfKsQlutzDqa46oXntJhEA5iJT4K6i8BiEk8Z2PtCof-JKc2Vrw/s1600/Insert+tree+picture+here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYh9PpKww925U-c9K4b408mlf-aUfy4c4Ih5DpMuTqlZ0n3K0NdvenjixDUl9pEleH6EICteECEeeEN8ta1jj7CjOnfKsQlutzDqa46oXntJhEA5iJT4K6i8BiEk8Z2PtCof-JKc2Vrw/s1600/Insert+tree+picture+here.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
It's possible you will have to hike a mile to find the perfect tree, walk back and forth between trees yelling out which tree is better, try really hard to stay jolly (<i>because this is supposed to be a fun Christmas activity!)</i> while children start to complain about the cold, and then, somehow, walk back uphill (still holding the toddler) while your husband drags the tree behind him and tries to encourage the oldest to keep walking despite his claims of capabilities to the contrary. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6OiLIYlNWLAxEVOzhy5HAFakka4vxFJqoRffXfoid3b3NtHVJIRfbMy7QSL5O1nKrqqOJr1o0YecKnIuSCdHi20j3jAKvjlfsEVyEn6t6cmDVgj5vE2EHy7hjMzrGHmbCwgJSOqlchI/s1600/Too+squatty2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6OiLIYlNWLAxEVOzhy5HAFakka4vxFJqoRffXfoid3b3NtHVJIRfbMy7QSL5O1nKrqqOJr1o0YecKnIuSCdHi20j3jAKvjlfsEVyEn6t6cmDVgj5vE2EHy7hjMzrGHmbCwgJSOqlchI/s1600/Too+squatty2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's possible that you would have to hurriedly squish all the unhappy, cold children back into the car while your husband takes care of buying the tree and throwing it into the back of the truck (hence, the two vehicles).<br />
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Cutting down the tree at the tree farm is a cool thing. No doubt about that. I like doing it. <br />
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However, the decision to do so has not always been prudent for our family.<br />
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But I have slugged it out in recent years because I thought I had to do it because...<br />
<br />
...because...<br />
<br />
...I don't why. I thought I had to in order to make happy Christmas memories for my family? I think we might have cut the tree down once as a kid. I'm not really sure. I don't have loads of sentimental value attached to cutting down the tree. My dad usually went to go get it. From wherever.<br />
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And guess what, folks?<br />
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That's what's happening this year! The dad of the family is going to get it. Wherever he wants.<br />
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The whole (young) family traipsing out to the tree farm to cut down the tree and bring it home?<br />
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<i>It's what's falling away this Christmas.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y55xdI8hz3FIfT2HxvplQu1HNFn4QuXrSDfpdunhRT_ddGiCeifXpcDpdNMy2EEHzTDu1RErF6aV3R2A58XLXrJG8WzH9nRV2V2IYif08mdWrmoOklx9LiQGxj_MMbz5tZUQP3BCN1U/s1600/Home+depot+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y55xdI8hz3FIfT2HxvplQu1HNFn4QuXrSDfpdunhRT_ddGiCeifXpcDpdNMy2EEHzTDu1RErF6aV3R2A58XLXrJG8WzH9nRV2V2IYif08mdWrmoOklx9LiQGxj_MMbz5tZUQP3BCN1U/s1600/Home+depot+tree.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>I welcome your thoughts about how you handle getting the Christmas tree in your house.</i></b><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D366621285694148827%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ettWIdYot5o%252FVF6I-jApxGI%252FAAAAAAAAAmE%252FUFctVTtYZe0%252Fs1600%252FWhat%25252Bfalls%25252Baway%25252Bat%25252BChristmas.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D366621285694148827%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ettWIdYot5o%252FVF6I-jApxGI%252FAAAAAAAAAmE%252FUFctVTtYZe0%252Fs1600%252FWhat%25252Bfalls%25252Baway%25252Bat%25252BChristmas.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D366621285694148827%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ettWIdYot5o%252FVF6I-jApxGI%252FAAAAAAAAAmE%252FUFctVTtYZe0%252Fs1600%252FWhat%25252Bfalls%25252Baway%25252Bat%25252BChristmas.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D2760291375748885152%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D366621285694148827%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ettWIdYot5o%252FVF6I-jApxGI%252FAAAAAAAAAmE%252FUFctVTtYZe0%252Fs1600%252FWhat%25252Bfalls%25252Baway%25252Bat%25252BChristmas.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284283852492167747noreply@blogger.com2