11/15/2015 The Sword and The Song: a novel Book review**Note from Susan: Hey guys! I hope everyone is staying warm this winter. There is nothing like getting all nice and cozy inside with a great book and a warm cup of tea (or hot chocolate, or coffee, whatever your taste may be :). This review doubles as guest post because it is actually written by my brother Jonathan. Jonathan is an aspiring author who, you will find out quickly, has a beautiful way with words! I asked him to write this review for me to see if book reviewing is something he might be interested in. I hope you guys enjoy his review and I'll catch y'all later in another post! P.S. Also, be a dear and write Jonathan a nice little comment telling him how he did :)** The Shadow of War. A Clash of Brothers. A Terrible Sacrifice. In the Face of Powerful Darkness, Who Will Prevail? The island of Seare is at war. The Red Druid is gathering strength and power to stand against Conor, Eoghan, and the brotherhood. But there is strife within the brotherhood as well. Eoghan still refuses to claim his rightful rule, and the resulting conflict creates an uncomfortable distance between him and Conor. When Conor leaves to find the key to defeating the Red Druid, Eoghan and Aine worry he will succumb to the danger, and they attempt their own mission to defeat the Red Druid through Aine's magical gifts. But Nothing--And No One--Is As It Seems. I'm always fascinated to see a book which belongs to a series that boasts "a novel" proudly on the front cover (I say "proudly" though it is usually typed in teeny print below an eloquent title such as The Sword and The Song). My thinking goes along the lines of: "Oh boy! A series comprised of novels that can stand by themselves but united are even better!" And the fact that the declaration is so small makes me feel like I am in on a privileged secret that possibly no one else knows about. What could be better? Needless to say, I have been let down more than once, and I realize it is largely based on slightly unreasonable expectations. Such was my approach to The Sword and The Song. I was expectant and slightly wary. Naturally, I was not prepared to be wary about everything, though, so the first line smacked me in the face (metaphorically, like a limp fish). The author, C. E. Laureano, started the book off with no reserves. The first sentence states that our hero has just dodged a swinging sword by a mere couple of inches (a mere couple of inches more than I am able to dodge limp fish). Engaging right? Well, it might be. To me it would have been fine if not for the fact that The Sword and The Song makes the third (Third!) book I can give you the title of that starts off in that way, and the second to use almost the exact same sentence to do so. The other two (which were both from separate series) didn't go over with me quickly either. I'm fine when an author goes all in in the first chapter. I think it's great. But certain ways that authors try to go all in make me feel like maybe I've just experienced the best that they had to offer. Ernest Hemingway and Baby Shoes aside, if an author can contain the best they have to offer in a single sentence I find it, well, small. Not a good start, I'll admit. But other than a few of my own misgivings (mostly concerning fish and my slow reflexes) the story was well rounded and fascinating to a point. It does take a minute to get up to speed. Politics rein for a few short chapters, and confusion abounded as I learned a million new words. It took a while but soon I was reading "Hm-hmm" and "Ahrrd-dard-dard-hmmm" and "Fi-fu-hmm" like a pro (and proudly doing so, though I'm glad I wasn't reading out loud). Magic/Spirituality: The author throws magic in a lot (At times I felt like I was reading a video game). Largely she used the idea that magic was the infestation of power from the character she used to represent GOD. But unlike C. S. Lewis' Narnia she didn't seem to capture the theological aspects of that. She only got the wow factor. In an interview with the author she says: "...Of course, the addition of magic changes things, so I got to imagine how the existence of supernatural gifts and blood magic might have affected their culture. I also re-envisioned the faerie mythology from a neutral, mischievous role into something more malevolent." Characters and Such: As the book progressed I learned to respect the main character, Conor (In my opinion he is the best part of the book). He is discerning and relatively knowledgable. And, according to an interview with the author, Conor is also her favorite character: "...He’s definitely the one I find most personally relatable. He knows he was created for something greater, but he doesn’t always make the right decisions—he lets his emotions sway his thinking and he lets down the people who depend on him—but he always comes through in the end. In that way, he’s something of a Biblical hero than a superhero...David was described as a man after God’s own heart, but he still did some seriously stupid things. " Conor struggles in meaningful ways that feel far less half hearted and half developed than they could have easily been, and I can only imagine how much more meaningful they would be if I had read the other two books in the series first. Which may bring us to the problem. I have not read the first two books in the series. Which may have brought us to the other problem. I find myself able to pass on the other two. While I don't regret reading the book exactly, it was not my style. The character development, while not as outstanding as J.R.R. Tolkien or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was, in fact, developed well. Certain characters really stood out to me in their own way. The problem is their own way just wasn't to my taste. What I'm saying here is this: Too many things got in the way of me enjoying The Sword and The Song. It has themes of sacrifice in it, but it also has random threads of selfishness. It has people strongly devoted to their moral code and to their religion, but it also has awkward acts against that same religion and code (I am referring to things that I found too common to just be explained away as "contrast"). Between that and a couple of sexual references, though they were relatively tastefully handled, I find it hard to recommend. Going by the rating system on the side bar, I would give it a 2 (and three quarters) out of 5. Here are some additional insights into the author from the above mentioned interview: What do you hope readers will take away from your books? "I didn’t want to write a “safe” story where you know that everything is going to be okay and everyone will come out unharmed—because real life isn’t like that. It can be scary and messy and unpredictable. But through it all, if you look hard enough, is the ever-present thread of God’s grace and provision. My greatest wish is that readers come away with the understanding that they have a purpose, that they matter, that God cares for them as individuals and not just as a face in the crowd. I’ll consider my job done if readers walk away with hope." P.S. I was given The Sword and The Song by: C. E. Laureano_ by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. Ray and Betty Whipps both served in Europe during WWII: Ray as an infantryman under General Patton in the trenches of Normandy, Paris, and Belgium, and Betty as a field nurse in Cherbourg, France. The two met when Betty tended to Ray after he was injured in a mortar blast. Both strong Christians, the two bonded over their shared faith, and as Betty nursed Ray back to health, they fell in love and vowed to marry after the war. However, soon after Ray returned to his unit, he was captured by German forces and held captive in Stalag VII, Germany’s largest prisoner of war camp. It was there that Ray’s faith was put to the ultimate test as he endured the most horrific weeks of his life—weeks marked by brutality, malnutrition, back-breaking labor, and near-constant death. The only thing that kept him alive was the dream of someday reuniting with Betty. Told in first person from Ray’s perspective, with personal wartime letters from Betty interspersed throughout, ’Til We Meet Again is a sweeping love story set amid the backdrop of WWII. The perfect combination of “in the trenches” battlefield accounts and classic 1940s romance, this memoir reads almost like a novel. It is an epic story of faith, hope, and love, and a nostalgic look back at one of the most memorable periods in American history. I am very proud to be able to review this book because I come from a heritage of veterans. My two great-grandfathers fought in WWII, one of my grandfathers served in the military during peace time and the other fought in the Vietnam War. I am honored to be able to live in a free country because my forefathers fought for the freedom I now have and getting to hear stories from them about their time in service is something I thoroughly enjoy. 'Till We Meet Again is no exception. Even though this is a non-fiction book, it reads like a fictional story; which is one of the aspects of this book that I loved. There are very few non-fiction books I like so I enjoyed the fact that I felt like I was reading an actually story and not a history book full of facts. There were even times I forgot that what I was reading really did happen because of the "story like aspect" of the book. Having the letters inserted at the end of the chapters helped "bring me back to reality" and give a more personal feel to the story. This book did, in my opinion, a good job at taking the violent aspect of war and making it palatable. It didn't hid from the blood of war making this story into a "fairytale", but it did put it into a way that was easy for the reader to digest. While the book itself is a great WWII drama I felt that it was marketed wrong. 'Till We Meet Again is the story about Ray and Betty's romance but I felt more so that it was about Ray's personal wartime story. The book starts out when Ray is just a little boy in Ohio and takes you through his teenage years, the day he is drafted, and on through his time spent in training and service. He does not meet his future bride until over half way into the book. After that the rest of the story seems to but put into high gear as it hurries to get to the end. The description on the back of the book (see above) describes the time Ray spends in Stalag VII-A (Germany's largest POW camp) as the most important and climaxing part of the story. However, this is not the case and the spiritual journey of Ray was down played here. The time Ray spends in captivity is greatly rushed and without much detail. While marketed that this time was Ray's most trying test of faith, we barely get anything out of the author(s) as to what exactly was going on inside his head and heart other than he was just "tired and defeated". Throughout the entire book the author(s) mention and show how Ray's strong faith in GOD was the main thing pulling him through, but we don't get much back ground on how he got to this point. In the beginning the author(s) describe a point where Ray began to struggle with his faith but the very next thing that happens is Ray is drafted and suddenly all of his doubts seem to be forgotten as he clings to the hope he has in Messiah. While the authors did a wonderful job pointing the finger back at GOD and how HE worked through the whole story and giving HIM all the credit, I wish they would have spent some more time developing Ray's spiritual progression to the point of his unshakeable faith than they did. Over all 'Till We Meet Again is an exciting, epic. The ending I felt was a bit rushed and a few key elements I felt were not full developed like they should have been. But the book does a great job showing a real life war through the eyes of a real, ordinary soldier in a way that we as civilians who have never experienced such can stomach. I'd give 'Till We Meet Again by: Ray & Betty Whipps with Craig Borlase a 5 out of 5 (see side bar for rating scale). Ray mentions at the end of the book, he not "any kind of hero". If we view a "hero" as someone to be idolized as a god than no, Ray is not a hero. He is a victor. A conquer who by following the orders of his Heavenly General persevered through, in my opinion, one of the worlds most spiritually testing times in history. And through his and his wife's story, and the stories of my grandfathers and other veterans, I am given the courage to stand strong in the face of danger. For my GOD is with me wherever I may go. "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9 KJV P.S. I was given Till We Meet Again by: Ray & Betty Whipps with Craig Borlase by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.
Where Legend and History Collide, One Young Woman Will Fight for the Innocent Born a baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is now an enemy of the throne after her father's failed assassination attempt upon the king. Bold and uniquely skilled, she is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village--a group that becomes known as "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest." Merry finds her charge more difficult as their growing notoriety brings increasing trouble their way. Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, he's forced to reexamine everything he's known. I was skeptical about this book when I first looked at it. When Bethany House sent me a list of books to review for the month of March (yes I know this is in April, I'm late) they gave me the option of looking at the first chapter before I committed to the whole book. In the first few pages the main character portrays herself as very feministic but as the story continues you begin to see the truth. Lady Merry struggles to be the leader of outlaws while still wanting to be the woman she was created to be. In the end, she learns how to lead her band of troops while still being the gentle submissive spirit the children crave in a motherly figure.
There were, of course, a few issues that I wished were handled differently regarding the way characters portrayed physical contact with others of the opposite gender. There are a few kisses shared and Lady Merry is described as experiencing a "feeling of hot fire" whenever she kisses this one man. There is also one time when the two main characters share a kiss and the guy "pressed her body to his with a fervor she had never dared imagine". I just think that, considering this book is targeting ages 7-12 (according to the definition of juvenile fiction) the author should have phrased sentences like the one mentioned above differently. Young minds (especially those going through puberty) can go a little crazy sometimes and often they will re-read sentences like these because they want to know what it would feel like to be in a situation like that. I say this because I remember doing the exact same thing at that age. Authors targeting middle and high school age audiences should be cautious when capturing these moments. I realize that these subjects can not be avoided at this age (and they shouldn't be) but they should be handled with the most care as they are introduced into what is really a child's world. ***Please read the comment section below. The author contacted me about this part of the review to clear up a misunderstanding. She was super nice and I appreciated the fact she took the time to comment.*** Besides the physical issues mentioned above along with a little bit of blood there is not much to be concerned about with this book. It is overall clean with an important message about womanhood, faith, love, and ultimately trusting GOD no matter what has happened in our past or current circumstance. The book has a good story line with characters you're sure to love (like Allen, Wren, and Cedric for example). If you're looking for a story with action, an awesome female hero, and a not-so-sappy prince charming, Dauntless is all that and more. I give Dauntless by: Dina L. Sleiman a 4 out of 5 rating (see side bar for book review scale). This is apparently the first in a series Mrs. Sleiman is starting called The Valiant Heart Series. I hope to be able to review the others in the series as they come out. I would especially love to see a book about Allen as he was my favorite character and I wished he could have his own story. Love, Susan P.S. I was given Dauntless By Dina L. Sleiman by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. Lately the two twin boys I babysit have been asking me a lot of questions about getting married (nope, I'm not dating anyone. Sorry Aunt Rie :). I think they're just worried about losing me because they know that once I'm married they won't see me as much.
So two days ago I'm driving them home from school when the conversation comes up yet again. The older of the two (we'll just call him Big Stuff for now) asks me if the man I'm going to marry is a big guy. Instead of giving them my normal response that if GOD wants me to get married HE'll bring along the man I'm supposed to marry at the right time, I decided to humor them. I said that I didn't know, what did he think? So Big Stuff (named because he's the bigger built of the two) answers: "I think you're going to marry a BIG man!" Little Red, the other twin, has been quiet this whole time so I ask him what he thinks. After a brief pause Little Red goes: "I think you're going to marry a red head handsome dude... like ME!" Okay maybe I was wrong... 11/17/2014 0 Comments Books I Love: Fiction**NOTE I was not given any of these book for review purposes as with my other book reviews, these are just my honest option and I choose these books of my own free will.** Every year for the past couple of years one of my friends and I have this tradition: I give her a book for Christmas and buy a copy of the same book for myself. We then spend the next couple of months reading through the book and emailing each other about it. It's been a great way for us to connect since we rarely get to see each other due to our different schedules. I L-O-V-E books! They have the power to not only teach you but to transport you into another world away from your own regular life for just a moment. So I thought I'd share with you all some of my top favorite books of all time. Whenever you are looking for another great read all of these are amazing so give one (or two) a try! Heartless By: Anne Elisabeth Stengl The Tales of Goldstone Woods Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon marry. She dreams of a charming prince, but when her first suitor arrives, he's not what she'd hoped. Prince Aethelbald of mysterious Farthestshore has travelled a great distance to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be on the hunt and blazing a path of terror. Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his cautions with dire consequences. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in his sights. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil. I came across Heartless by complete accident, but OH AM I SO GLAD I DID!!!!!!!!! Heartless is the first book in The Tales of GoldStone Woods series (I actually did a review of the sixth book in this series, Shadow Hand, on this blog). All of the books in the series are really good but Heartless could stand alone by itself. From best I can tell the story line is loosely based on G-D's relationship with the church (and if not, there are several places where it practically SCREAMS IT!). This was also the first book that made me cry. I had never cried in a book before until this one and it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling. I would recommend this book to anyone above the age of 10 or 11. There are some intense moments and there is blood, but nothing really extreme (younger children might be frightened in certain parts). There is no sexual content except for one kiss and at one point the main girl develops a crush on someone, but these are all very minor and need no cause for concern. However, there is a large amount of swearing going on in this book and throughout the whole series. They don't use what we would consider "bad words", however they swear and curse by former heroes and villains from their country's past (you can read more about my thoughts on this issue here in my Shadow Hand book review). The Wingfeather Saga By: Andrew Peterson Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera. There are several reasons to like this book: #1 they are written by my FAVORITE singer/songwriter of all time Andrew Peterson. #2 He wrote them to and for his children (remember that if you ever, correction, I mean WHEN you read them). #3 It's about true and ultimate love and the price we all must pay to fulfill the calling G-D has given us. Heartless may have been the first book I cried in but this series is the first one I've literally curled up in a ball and BAWLED during. IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These are just a few of many reasons (I give a few more here) why this series is O-MAZ-ING. The author meant for the series to be read aloud as a family but they work well for personal reading as well. However, parents should be cautioned. While written for children of all ages the series deals with several grown -up aspects such as loss, pain, war, and death. Parents are advised to pre-read the series before reading it aloud or giving it to children to read for the first time to discern what their kids can and cannot handle. I know a family whose mother read this aloud to her 9 and 7 year old and she had to warn them ahead of time before certain chapters were read. I'm not saying that this is a bad book for young children, Andrew Peterson does a good job handling these aspects, but they are eye opening especially to children who have never been exposed to these aspects before. The Giver By: Lowis Lowery Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back. I had to read The Giver for a school assignment during my 9th grade year of homeschooling. I always said that if I ever have to do an in-depth paper on one book, it will be The Giver. The Giver is about choice and design. Though not written from a Christian perspective (from best I can tell), if one reads it in this mindset you can easily pick out how G-D design the universe to work, even amidst the fall, and how when we try to control and change that design we mess things up. The Giver is a pretty clean book. There is no cussing or violence but death is a relevant part of the plot. There is some sensuality towards the beginning. During one of the earlier chapters Jonas goes to a retirement home to help with bathing the old which takes place in a large open room. He has a whole conversation with an elderly woman as he bathes her and it is discussed that she is naked. In the chapter preceding the one at the retirement home Jonas has a dream in which he and one of his female friends are alone in the bathing room at the retirement home. Nothing is done but Jonas does talks about how he felt in the dream and he mentions that he has no shirt on. So some things are mentioned but not in great detail. For this reason, and many others, I would NOT recommend The Giver to anyone under the age of 14 maybe 13. This book is deep and goes in-depth on several subjects that I think only someone who can understand the issues addressed should read it. **NOTE: This book has recently been made into a movie under the same title. And while the movie is really good and stays close to the book, I recommend you read the BOOK before you watch the MOVIE. The book goes in far more depth and you will appreciate the movie more after reading the book.** The Horse and His Boy By: C.S. Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia Bree, the horse, has been kidnapped from Narnia and longs to return there. Shasta, on the verge of being sold into slavery, decides to run away with him in search of the home he's always dreamed of. But the journey is full of surprises and fraught with dangers, and when the companions uncover a treasonous plot, it also becomes a race against time. Out of the 7 books in this series The Horse and His Boy is probably my favorite. I mean there's nothing like a good 'ole runaway-orphan story line with a talking horse thrown in for extra measure! I'll assume that everyone has already read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the second book in the series, and probably the most popular. The Horse and His Boy takes place during Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy's reign as kings and queens of Narnia (known also as the "Golden Age of Narnia"). For those of you who never knew there were any other Narnia books I'm pleased to be the one to tell you that there are six others so enjoy them all! I recommend The Horse and His Boy, along with the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia to any age group. There is something in there for everyone and all the books are clean and appropriate. The Horse and His Boy is a great story about wanting to belong and the journey we must all take to find our place in this world. Fancy Pants When Britisher Lady Sydney Hathwell's father dies, the American who planned to wed her suddenly reneges. Stranded in America and penniless, Sydney contacts a relative in Texas who, mistaking her male-sounding name, invites his "nephew" to join him on his ranch.
"Big Tim" Creighton, however, is appalled when this mincing fop arrives at Forsaken. He determines he'll turn Fancy Pants Hathwell into a man before the boss returns home. From the get-go, he has "the kid" mucking stalls, clearing and plowing a field, and assisting with a difficult calving. But when Sydney's true identity is uncovered, Tim resents being deceived. Yet in time, he also finds that he doesn't like all the attention Sydney garners now that she's wearing pretty gowns... Together Sydney and Tim will discover the importance of family and what it means to be a man--and a woman--of God. I first read Fancy Pants when I was about 11 or 12 and have read it many times since then. Though not part of a "series" per say, Cathy Marie Hake has written several other books after the publication of Fancy Pants that revolve in the same town around the same time period. Several characters pop up throughout the other books from previous books. Fancy Pants is the first in this timeline. For a historical romance this book is pretty clean which is why my Mom let me read it at age 11. There is a part were the ranch hands get the main girl drunk by accident and because of it she meets one of the "soiled doves" at the saloon. The "soiled doves" of course know that she's a girl and decide to go along with her little plan. Sydney pays them to allow her to come up and use their bath without fear of someone knowing who she really is. So there are some scenes in a bar, but nothing happens like you think would happen in a normal bar and "upstairs" scene. There is a part where a man accidentally walks into a woman taking a bath but he immediately turns away and walks out. Also, there are quite a few scenes where Sydney is having to bind up her... ahem... self to hide her womanish figure but unless you are a man reading these parts, I found no problem with that. Fancy Pants is a great "beginner romance" book for younger girls (like 12 to 14) but was written for women of all ages. Like I mentioned above, there are some things mentioned and discussed in the book (I mean it's about a girl dressing up as a guy to hide her identity), but the author covers and deals with these subjects very well and within reason. This is by NO MEANS a "gay" or "homosexual" book, such things aren't even mentioned, so there is no need for concern. Love, Susan So I took another step in the adult world I voted Yep voted, and it was the scariest thing I've done this year. My mom and I had to vote early because we were going to be out of town on election day. So she and I rode down to the election office and pull into the parking lot. I'm extremely nervous. I mean THE ENTIRE FATE OF MY STATE RESTS IN MY DECISION OF WHOM I WANT TO RUN THE BALL GAME! No biggie right? Mom told me the whole ride there that I was going to do fine and not to be nervous. So putting on a brave face I step out of the car ready to fulfill my duty as a citizen of the Untied States of America... and right into politicians. The first guy I bump into into is Bulgy Bear. If a bear was turned into a human I'm pretty sure it would look like this guy. He lumbers over and says in his deep bear voice "Hello miss how are you doing today? (I'm pretty sure he meant my mom) I would apreciate it if you would vote for so and so for so and so position." We told him thank you that we were already planning on voting for this person. He looked at us like we were the first people to tell him this and he didn't know what to do now. Next we run into Mr. Peppy. "Hello ladies are how are y'all doing on this lovely day? Would you please write in my friend for this position? If you do you will be making an excellent chioce." he says as he hands us pencils with the person's name he's supporting written on a little flag (I must admit, the pencil flags were pretty cute). Then to top it all off, right before we enter into the building we meet Ms. I'm-running-for-office-so-I'm-meeting-you-in-person. She talks to us for a little while about what she stands for and that she would, (everyone say it together now) "really appreciate your vote". No pressure. So we finally get in the building and fill out the necessary paperwork. I'm given my ballot and I sit down at a table flanked on either side by cardboard walls preventing anyone from seeing my decisions (except of course the people right behind me counting the votes!) So I'm sitting at this table all alone with the only instructions to fill in the box COMPLETELY for your vote. I very much felt like Frodo with the ring at that moment. Scared and alone I put my head in my hands and prayed
"Lord give me wisdom" Then I lifted my head and knew what I needed to do. Minutes later I turned in my ballot and walked out. Mom was waiting for me with a big smile on her face "See I knew you could do it!". Really Mom? Then why do I feel the need to pass out? As we head out to make one more stop before heading home we pass by a sign promoting a man that I voted for. I tell Mom that I voted for him and she asks me who else I voted for. And I can't remember! Nope, can't remember who I voted for. Thus begins panic attack #2. To top off my first voting experience some 90 year old man at the store we stopped by on our way home had a stroke in the back. Guess who got to see him get rolled out (who by the way, doesn't handle big medical emergencies like that very well)? That's right, me. So how did I handle myself? Did I go to G-D like I did earlier in the day and rely on HIM to make sense of the matter? Nope I buy some candy and continue my panic attack in the car. America is in some trouble if I'm the one deciding who gets in office. G-D *help* America! Susan Hi everyone! Man it seems like forever since I've posted anything on this blog! With school starting back for the rest of my family, a new job position, and an online sewing class I just haven't had the time! So as an apology, I've got another book review for you all. Enjoy! Unlike the other books I've reviewed this one did not come from a publishing company, this one came from a pastor's wife/friend who works at our local LifeWay in exchange for my honest review. I had never read any books by Chris Fabry but I had heard that he was a very good author.
This book is loosely based on a true story. Mr. Fabry received an email from a fan of his about this man, Billy Allman. The book is about Billy and the angel who follows his life from age 10 to his late 40's. Billy lives a quiet life playing the mandolin and building his own radio station in his home. Malachi, the angel, doesn't understand what exactly is so important about Billy and his life but as he observes him he soon realizes that Billy Allman is more than meets the eye. Mr. Fabry does a great job telling his tale from not only Billy's perspective, but Malachi the angel's as well. Now I'm not saying Mr. Fabry was spot on and that what he wrote is exactly how angel's feel and think but considering that these beings are such a mystery to us, I think he did really good job. It was interesting that Malachi often referred to how confusing humans and their ways are to him when, at the same time, we can say the same things about them. Malachi struggles to understand why certain events happen to Billy and why he was unable to interfere but his trust and allegiance to his Master challenges us to trust our G-d with such childlike faith even when we don't understand the things that go on in our lives. Malachi is only an angel with no free will but still he knows that G-d is taking care of Billy and his job is to only observe and act when directed. Billy is the definition of a humble servant and childlike innocence. All he does is to help other people and to tell them of the message of Salvation even to the point where his needs are pushed aside (which can sometimes become fatal to him.) The reader will immediately become attached to Billy and find themselves celebrating his victories and sighing with sadness over his misfortunes. While the story is very well written, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under the age of 18. Mr. Fabry addresses issues of rape and sexual child abuse. While the issues are handled well personally I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone under that age group because some of the scenes are pretty intense and a little graphic. This book receives a 3 out of 5 rating from me (see side bar for book review scale). It's not that the book was bad, as a matter of fact, it was very good it just wasn't really my taste. But I hope that doesn't stop you from following Malachi in observing Billy's life! Love, Susan P.S. While Almost Heaven is not a sequel, you might want to read Mr. Fabry's June Bug as the stories do intertwine and Almost Heaven reveals parts of June Bug. P.P.S. You can get Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry at your local LifeWay Christian Book Store. 8/24/2014 0 Comments Meet The Crew of LiteralYou've already met some of the characters from Literal but now I would like to introduce you to some of the crew members. Because without them Literal could never become a reality. Several of the cast members are also crew members. Whenever they need to be on camera someone has to be behind camera doing their job. Some of the crew members have been with us all the way on this and some were with us temporarily helping with only a few episodes. Each person has made a lasting impression on not only Literal but our lives as well. They are important and even though you might not get to "see" them on camera, the works of their hands are clearly visible. Director of Photography, Camera Man #1 Robert Peak Robert, age 21, in real life is the older brother to Dawson Peak (see below) and to the actor for Mr. News. We met their family back in 2006 at a homeschool 4-H meeting and have been friends ever since. In our first film, Beyond Under, Robert served as Assistant Director along with playing the part of Older Marcus. In 2011 Robert graduated from high school and spent the next 2 years getting his associate's degree at a local college. During this time Robert and his friend, David Hannah, formed their own film company, Peak Hannah Digital (Phd). He currently works with local TV station WTNB filming commercials and high school football games. Robert is the reason why we have a set for the old WWBTV station where Doug Hoop, Mr. News and Typical Christian work. As we were trying to figure out how we could access a TV station I thought of asking Robert if we might could borrow space where he works. Robert talked with his boss and they gladly granted access to the station during off hours. For free! Robert also donated his camera so Literal could be filmed in a higher quality than the camera we own. Along with being our "face of WTNB" Robert serves as camera man. Robert has a keen eye for angles and a good sense of direction. He gladly offers his services and has even stayed late helping us get final shots, never once complaining. Make sure you check out his company, Peak Hannah Digital, and view more of his work by visiting his YouTube Page here. Assistant Boom Operator #1 Dawson Peak If any of you have watched our first film, Beyond Under, you will recognize Dawson as the bumbling Peasant of Untar. Even though he played one of the loudest characters in Beyond Under, Dawson has a very quite nature. Dawson has filled in for Jonathan (who is in charge of sound) on the boom many times throughout our filming career. Jonathan really trusts Dawson with the boom and he does a great job with it! Whenever the two of them are doing sound we tend to forget they're around because they're so quiet and focused (and I think they like it that way :). During the episodes where Jonathan is acting as Mr. Media Jr. Dawson has been the one doing the sound. He's the reason Jonathan sounds as good as he looks (hey isn't that what friends are for?). Camera Man #2 Cameron Malott Cameron is a 20 year old homeschooled graduate from Houston, TX. He is studying for his degree online and hopes to one day make his own films professionally. Cameron made his first project, Filmodus Operandi, in 2012 along with members from his church and homeschool group. The story of how we first got in contact with Cameron is pretty amazing! He and Christopher met online through an online christian filmmakers community. Filmodus Operandi and BOO! Do Something both came out around the same time so the two of them swapped movies and email addresses. They never really talked much after that until Cameron's email address got stolen and he sent an email out with his new address. Fast-forward to spring of this year. S.C. TreeHouse had released its IndiGoGo campain for Literal and Cameron had been following us. One day we got an email from Cameron saying that if we needed another crew member he was willing to drive up and help us film for a week. As it turned out we had just realize that we had no one to film episode 5 because Christopher had to act and Robert, our normal camera man, was working during the day. We couldn't move the filming schedule because our cousins (who play Master SmoothLips and Typical Christian) were coming for one week only. So, did we really invite a total stranger into our house for 4 days to help us film? Yes we did! And I'm so glad! Cameron was a great addition to the team and brought lots of great advice and talent into the project. He even let us borrow his camera and lighting equipment to help make the scenes look the way we wanted them to look. To be honest I was a little leery about Cameron coming up here. I was worried about inviting someone we never met before into our house and that all of us might not get along. But we got along great! He and his brother, Taylor (see below), fit into our family so well that we felt like they were some long lost cousins or something! To learn more about Cameron and his work visit his Vimeo page here and to view the trailer for Filmodus Operandi click here. Assistant Boom Operator #2 Taylor Malott Taylor, age 17, is the younger brother to Cameron. Also homeschooled, Taylor is currently working on finishing up his Junior and Senior year of high school. He plans on pursuing a degree in engineering once he graduates. Taylor drove up with Cameron to keep him company (and awake!) and to offer his services in any way needed. Taylor was our boom operator during the week whenever Jonathan was filming as well as doing the clapper board as needed. Thankfully, Taylor also took over creating Master SmoothLips' mustache so Christopher could focus on some of his other duties. Taylor did a wonderful job making everyone sound great, but the bad part was that since he had a powerful mic on the end of a long pole he did what anyone else with a powerful mic on the end of a long pole would do: listen to other people's conversations. Taylor also ran around with Gideon trying on all the costumes to entertain us with his goofy portrayals of our characters. Taylor definitely made those dull moments of filming a lot more enjoyable by providing us with lots of laughs when we needed them the most! Taylor and Cameron have both made such a lasting impression on Literal and on our lives. We pray that one day we might be able to work together again!
Mom and Dad both have bent over backwards throughout our entire childhood to help direct us kids to follow our dreams. They've taken days off from work, arranged school work around filming schedules, and even given us money that was needed in other areas of our lives. We are soooooooooo blessed to have parents who believe in us and our vision. I really don't know where any of our pervious films would be without their wisdom and guidance. S.C. Treehouse's video for last week was an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of Literal featuring some of the people mentioned here. Be sure to check it out here and look for a new behind the scenes video coming every third Tuesday of the month. Also, please visit some of the pages of our friends' companies. They're really good at what they do so help us show our appreciation by checking them out! And to all of our crew members who have helped us: thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! You guys mean so much to us and have been such a blessing! " Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm." 2 Corinthians 1:24 Susan Amidst the busyness of filming I have managed to slip in some "me time" with a book; mostly because I had to review it for Bethany House. It was a great way to force myself to slow down and relax.
This book is called Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund. I've read her previous work, The Preacher's Bride, and absolutely fell in love with it! Mrs. Hedlund adds adventure to her plot line that prevents the story from becoming too much of a "mush-gush" love story. Also, she portrays marriage and true love as loving someone for who they truly are and sacrificing one's own desires for the other person's betterment. You can tell that her characters really do love each other and are going to honor their wedding vows to the end. These two qualities are what draw me to her books. Captured by Love takes place on Michilimackinac island in 1814 until early 1815 during a siege by the Americans to claim the island from the British. Mrs. Hedlund offers lots of historical background to not only the island but to the inhabitants' daily lives there. The book is dripping with facts about the geology, biology, and meteorology of Michilimackinac Island. It was almost like reading a history book along with the story! I love books like this one where the author researches about the time and place they are writing about so much the story seems to have really happened! The story follows Angelique MacKenzie, an 18 year old woman living with her abusive stepfather and Pierre Durant, a fur trader and voyageur. The two grew up as childhood friends until Pierre ran away to become a voyager. Angelique had a crush on Pierre and now that they are adults she can't seem to stop thinking about him as more than just a friend. Pierre also can't believe how beautiful Angelique has become and finds himself being drawn more and more towards her. But, along with many other obstacles, Angelique is promised to Pierre's brother, Jean, who has been banished from the island due to his loyalty to the Americans. With the approaching war Angelique and Pierre face many hardships and broken hearts as they learn to trust in THE L-RD and that sometimes doing the right thing is not easy. The first half of the book focuses more on Angelique and Pierre's relationship while the second half deals more with the war and their fight for survival. While the plot was amazing and very intriguing, I must admit I had a hard time liking the characters. It's not that I hated them, it's just I didn't really find them interesting. For one, Pierre is very full of himself and in his flirtations with Angelique he tends to brag about himself. "You're not just saying yes because I'm such a good kisser, are you?" She laughed. "Of course that's why... What other reason could there possibly be?" "Oh, let's see. Because you think I'm incredibly handsome, and sweet, and fun. And because I can cook the best stuffed whitefish in the world." "And because you're very conceited," she teased. "That too." While sometimes these little jokes are cute they tend to get annoying. I much prefer it when the guy is humble than when he's blatantly flirting with a girl. And while I didn't despise Angelique (she was supper sweet!), I just have other literary heroins that I like much better. I really didn't start liking the characters until the last part of the book when they started to overcome some of their "human sinful nature." Remember when I wrote my review for until i found you by Victoria Bylin and I mentioned that I thought couples should be careful with how physical they are with each other because things can become very dangerous? Well this book is another great example of what I mean. As mentioned above Angelique is betrothed to Pierre's brother Jean and while she tries to honor her vow to him, she very quickly ends up basically cheating on him. She and Pierre are not careful around each other and pretty soon they're ending up alone way too much and kissing each other. The author does handle the situations very well in the end however, using them to teach the characters a lesson. I just thought I would elaborate a little more on what I meant in my last book review. Along with the frequent kisses there are a few sexual references in the book. Angelique's stepfather sleeps with several women and is very unfaithful to his wife. The author does discuss the sinfulness of his ways and Angelique does learn from him but it is mentioned. I think the author handles this issue very well. She doesn't go into much detail but it is mentioned throughout the whole book. Something else I had a problem with was the "swimming" scenes. Twice Pierre and Angelique go swimming in one of the island's lakes. While them swimming is not what I had a problem with, the fact that Angelique swims in her chemise and Pierre goes without a shirt is. I know this isn't such a big deal in our society today because a chemise of that time covered more than most dress of today do, but the fact of the matter is that this was a woman's underwear and to see a man without his shirt was considered very inappropriate. Nothing happens during these scenes, but the two of them are definitely swimming in their underwear! All together I'd give Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund a 3.5 rating (see sidebar for rating scale). The story was great and the history amazing but I wasn't fond of the characters and there were a few sexual issues I had a problem with. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under the age of 17 due to this. But honestly, this book ended in the best way possible! The author wrapped it up soooo nicely that I couldn't have asked for a better ending! I can't tell you how she ended it, you'll just have to read it yourself. Love, Susan P.S. I was given Jody Hedlund's Captured by Love by Bethany House Publishers in exchanged for my honest opinion. 7/2/2014 2 Comments The First Filming Week of Literal (aka the most hectic and AWESOME week of my life!)Filming for Literal has offically begun! That's right! Last week from June 19th thru the 25th my family and I along with several others "literally" fell off the face of the earth while we filmed almost three whole episodes and parts of scenes for several others. Now y'all get to see what exactly went on during our EPIC week of absence! (Late night shootings at "The Mill") (Yes doing hair on set was this intense!) On Thursday we drove to the Chattanooga airport to pick up our cousins from North Carolina. They were going to be the actors for two of our characters, Typical Christian and Master SmoothLips. Because we are who we are, we made signs with their stage names on them and held them up like you see people do at airports. The looks on peoples faces as they passed by were priceless! (Can't touch this!) (Retards) On Sunday we went over to another actor's house to film. We filmed from 8:30 am until 9:30 pm (one hour later than we intended.). As we were getting the last few shots we received a call from two guys who were driving up from Texas to help us film one of the episodes. They were lost in Cleveland so Dad and Nic had to go find them. So they "literally" got to walk on set and right into the middle of things! But they handled it well and even helped with the clean up afterwards. (People kept playing with my costumes namely Taylor and Bud) From Monday thru Wednesday we filmed at the local county courthouse everyday from 8:30 am (when they opened) to 4:30 pm (when they closed.) We ran into a lot of trouble on Monday and Tuesday. First we had to spend most of Monday morning working on lighting and then only got a few shots in before we had to pack up and head to Cleveland for that night's shoot. On Tuesday all of our actors kept messing up their lines and we spent all morning trying to get only ONE on the shots needed for that day. Later that night in Cleveland the crew ran into MORE lighting issues and only got about half of the scenes they needed. To top it all off, several of us had gotten sick (including our director who lost his voice Sunday) and by Tuesday we had to add to that list my cousin, Sarah, whose character plays a critical role in the series' plot line. (We had a wig that one of the actors wore and everyone kept running away with it!) So as you can guess, no one was particularly excited when Wednesday rolled around. Everyone was tired and stressed out. We knew we had to finish because our cousins as well as Cameron and Taylor were leaving the next morning. Have you ever had one of those days when you felt like you have given your all to G-D and there is nothing else left that you can give? That's exactly how I felt Wednesday morning as we started to set up for the day's shoot. I was tired, my body felt like a train wreck and I really just wanted everything to work out so we could all have a break! I knew that day was going to be bad and we were all going to end up snapping at each other. But then something happened. I don't know what or how but somehow we got caught up from the previous days, got all the scenes scheduled for that day, got some extra close up shots, AND FINISHED EARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have no clue what happened but somehow it just worked out! (yeah, we were on cloud 9 throughout the whole day!) All I can tell you is that right before we filmed I just got on my knees and said "Lord, I can't do this anymore. Somehow you've got to work through me because I can't do this anymore. I'm spent and I can't control it. You've got to work a miracle here." and the next thing I knew we were ahead of schedule! (I later learned that several other people had done the same thing that morning.) I think G-D just wanted us to get to the point where we were so weak that WE couldn't make this series happen anymore and HE got control of everything so HIS GLORY was revealed though the project! I'm so thankful that we have a God whose weakness is "...stronger than men." (1 Cor 1:25). I can honestly tell you that if it wasn't for HIM this project would have fallen through. There were SO MANY ways where HE intervened or something happened that we didn't plan that made this project happen. Like providing money for our cousins to not only come down for the week but FLY none the less! Or providing a camera man and assistant boom operator from Texas whom we had never even met before! HE sustained us each day with the food and the strength we needed to worship HIM in a way we NEVER could have done without HIM! My heart overflows with joy when I think about all the blessings HE has given us this past week as well as the weeks and months leading up to it. I know there are many more days like this past Wednesday to come because when you worship THE LORD ALMIGHTY exciting things happen! Some people worship through dancing, some people worship through song, and still others worship through prayer but I worship though film making. Because it is there in film making, when I am at my weakest, that I see HIS GLORY revealed! May all I do go to HIM and HIM ALONE! ("Um, ok, now what do we do now?" "Everyone point at the director!") SOLO DE GLORIA!
Susan |
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October 2019
Book Review
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