Today I am over at Cara Meredith’s blog, be, mama. be. joining in with her ongoing guest series on rituals. Cara is an internet friend whose writing is always inspiring to me so I was honored when she asked if I would contribute to this series about the every day rituals that make life richer. I chose to write about my life-long habit of reading myself to sleep.
“And so I grew to love the way it felt to fall asleep to the rhythm of words, whether the cadence of my mother’s voice or my own internal voice as I read to myself. Reading before bed became as natural as brushing my teeth and putting on my pajamas.”
Read the rest of my post here and check out the rest of Cara’s blog while you’re over there!
Even though I was counting down the days to the end of April and the beginning of our little spring vacation trip to Taiwan, somehow the end of the month What I’m Into post crept up on me. So here it is, a little late, but not forgotten. As always, I am linking up with Leigh Kramer for this monthly round-up.
What I’m Reading:
I’m actually super confused about what I read this month. I had to look back on Goodreads and check the dates because I couldn’t remember… yeah, it’s been that kind of month. Apparently, I read 5 books. I’m at 20 for the year so far which is on-pace for my goal of 60.
An Altar in the Worldby Barbara Brown Taylor. I really love Barbara Brown Taylor. This book was a breath of fresh after so many books (and sermons and churches and Christians) who intentionally or unintentionally separate the spiritual life from the physical world. This book made me feel so grounded in my body and to this earth. I especially loved the practical disciplines she suggested for making the world a place of worship. Things as simple as taking a walk or working with your hands. or being still and resting. The thing I loved most about this book was walking away feeling that a simple life could be good and honest and holy and true when so often I feel the drive to be more and do more, even from the church.
A Discovery of Witchesby Deborah Harkness. (First book in the All Souls Trilogy). Oh man. This book drove me nuts. I read it because several bloggers and fellow readers who have similar taste to mine raved about it. This book is Twilight for grown-ups mixed with The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.Since I really hated both of those books, it makes sense that this book drove me crazy. However, if you really really liked either or both of those books, then you will love this. Diana Bishop is a witch who inadvertently discovers an old manuscript that all of the non-human community has been searching for for years. Vampire Matthew Clairmont stumbles upon Diana while in pursuit of this manuscript, and the two fall immediately, madly, and passionately in love despite the fact that a union between vampires and witches is forbidden. This book is 600 pages of almost nothing happening. And then when something finally does happen (around 400 pages in) it is resolved within 20 pages. I could not connect with the main character, Diana, at all. I didn’t understand her reactions throughout most of the book. There was so much tea drinking and wine drinking and not-having-sex for somewhat inexplicable reasons (very reminiscent of Twilight) and what essentially felt like the same conversation happening dozens of times–Matthew saying, “No, Diana, you cannot do x. I won’t allow it,” and Diana saying, “Matthew, I am my own person I can do what I want.” And Matthew responding in awe, “Will you never cease to amaze me?” Diana also did a lot of telling people that Matthew was in charge and they all had to listen to him, which rubbed my feminist side the wrong way. And yet…at the very end of the book things suddenly got more interesting. And now I kind of want to know what happens in spite of finding this book almost painful at times. Dilemma.
Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down by Tony Merida. The author of this book is the pastor of a church in North Carolina that was supported by my former church in Raleigh. I picked this up because it was pitched as a sort of anti-Francis-Chan’s Crazy Love. It was supposedly about how God doesn’t call us to be radical, he calls us to be faithful in ordinary lives. But then came the twist. And the twist was convicting. Because Merida pointed out that our ordinary lives should be about extravagant justice and mercy, especially to the poor, the orphan, and the widow, because these things are the very fundamentals of what it means to follow Christ. I didn’t think this book was especially profound, but it was challenging and convicting.
Atlas Girl: Finding Home in the Last Place I Thought to Look, by Emily T. Wierenga. I had a complicated relationship with this book. First off, I think it’s mis-marketed in a way. I didn’t get the sense that this book was about finding “home” even though the author shares life experiences that occurred in various parts of the world. To me it it was more about finding herself, coming to terms with her faith and with her family. The writing is poetic and moving at times, but at other times it feels like she is drawing connections without fully explaining them. In other words, it probably makes sense to her how these things are connected, but it doesn’t always to the reader. There were quite a few times when I wanted to know more or to understand more. Wierenga writes candidly about growing up with a missionary/pastor father who was distant throughout her childhood, about her struggle with anorexia as a child and again as an adult, and about the pain and the healing of moving home to help her father care for her mother who was ill with brain cancer. The stories she tells are poignant and evocative, even if some left me wanting more. Overall I thought this was a lovely memoir.
I also want to give another shout out to my friend Brett “Fish” Anderson’s book i, church. If you are interested in a realistic view of the problems with the church coupled with a hope for how the church could be, you should check this out.
What I’m Watching:
Television: Finished The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (sometimes hilarious, sometimes just OK) and The Mindy Project and caught up on Pretty Little Liars (total guilty pleasure show). Still making our way through the new season of Community and staying current with Brooklyn Nine Nine (hilarious) and Nashville. Also picked up where I left off with The Good Wife a few months ago. I’m mid season-2 now and still love it.
Movies: Avengers: Age of Ultron – entertaining, but I didn’t love that the villain is essentially a computer. I think Loki is one of the most fascinating villains in the realm of superhero mythology, so I missed him.
What I’m Eating:
Wraps. Guys, I just figured out that if I take a fairly boring salad and wrap it in a tortilla – Bam! Magic. I tried it out with a recipe of Bang Bang Shrimp and it was probably the most excited I’ve been about lunch in two years. Tonight I made buffalo chicken wraps. I sort of feel unstoppable. Follow me on Pinterest for more of what I’m cooking.
Photo by: cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com
On the Internets:
My sister-in-law sent me this article called “I Followed My Stolen Iphone Across the World and Became a Celebrity.” It’s kind of long, but it’s so amazing. And hilarious.
This post from a sort-of-internet/sort-of-real-life friend Abigail Heath about wanting life to be a fairytale. I actually have a lot of thoughts about this that I plan to share in an upcoming blog post.
The news about actor Jonathan Crombie’s sudden death made many of us sad and nostalgic about the role his most famous character, Gilbert Blythe, played in our childhoods and adolescences. Here are two great posts that express some of my own feelings about what Gilbert Blythe meant to me and how one person, even playing a part, can impact the lives of so many: this one from Kelsey Munger and this one from Sarah Torna Roberts.
I was also moved by this piece “How Christians Have Sex” from my college friend, Rachel. I’ve always admired Rachel’s frankness, but more than that, the way she finds poetry in the raw truth. While our experiences are very different, this post gave me a lot to think about and I admire her courage and her willingness to express confusion and doubt in a world that prizes certainty and self-assuredness.
Also, just everything on my blogging friend Angela’s travel blog. Especially all of the spectacular apartments she and her hubby manage to find around Europe.
This video that my mom sent me made me cry. Let’s all walk through the door marked, “Beautiful,” OK?
I also wrote about my struggles with wholeheartedness in the midst of failures and about combatting shame with self-compassion. I wrote about gratitude and started a Thankful Thursdays guest series with this post from Pradnya Vernekar.
My most-viewed post this month was an open letter to my sisters about love and regret followed by my Geronimo post about giant leaps of faith which was part of a link-up with my friend Karissa.
Also, if you just can’t get enough of me, you can like my Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. I will probably follow you back if I can figure out how. 😉 And I will definitely keep you updated on flash Kindle deals and other stuff I’m discovering day-to-day.
What I’ve Been Up To:
Things are starting to crank into high gear as we make preparations to move back to America. At this point we are about 3 1/2 months away. For a while I was so excited for the next step that it felt like it couldn’t come quickly enough, but nowadays I’ve become more hesitant. I’m anxious about all of the unknowns of what comes next, but also realizing how much of this life I will miss and how quickly it will all feel like a dream. I am a complete mess of contradictory emotions.
We went through some major ups and downs as we considered whether or not we should buy a house when we return to the US (we landed on not, for the record) and I struggled through some serious homesickness when all of my college roommates got together a few weeks ago to help with planning my best friend’s wedding.
I continued to wade through awkward interactions with CoT this month (which have actually declined a bit as we’ve fallen into a routine) and got to witness the school’s Sports Day at the end of the month. It was similar to Field Day in my school growing up with tons of strange relay races and athletic competitions. There was also a lot of parent and even grandparent participation built in which I thought was kind of sweet.
The first-graders had to roll this giant ball around a cone and back in pairs. It was unbelievably adorable.
We have two short trips planned for May, one to Taiwan and one to Tokyo, so I expect this month will move quickly. I have a few guest posts coming up this month for other blogs that I am excited to participate in as well as continuing my Thankful Thursday series with guest writers here on my blog. I really enjoy opportunities to collaborate with other bloggers and I hope you enjoy those posts in the coming weeks!
Friday, May 1st was International Labor Day, a government holiday in many countries including Korea. In the US the holiday calendar has sort of been manipulated so that many holidays (Labor Day, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, etc.) are always celebrated on Mondays. This allows people several long weekends each year to take short trips. Of course, there are exceptions for holidays whose significance is associated with a particular date, like the Fourth of July, but in general the US government holidays are designed for people to easily enjoy them.
In Korea, holidays are celebrated on specific dates regardless of when they fall. If, for example. the government holiday falls on the weekend, then it falls on the weekend and you don’t get any days off of work, even though you would have if they happened to fall M-F. This spring/summer the calendar was not treating us kindly. Three public holidays (March 1st, June 6th, and August 15th) all fall on weekends in 2015 and several others fell on random Tuesdays or Thursdays which were nice breaks, but it wasn’t possible to travel or do anything especially exciting on those days because we had to work the day before and after.
This year, May 1st was a holiday, but Tuesday, May 5th is also Children’s Day in Korea.We had a similar situation last year where May 1st was on a Thursday so we had Thursday off as well as the following Monday, but last year we had to go to work on the Friday in between so we were surprised and delighted when our schools decided to declare Monday, May 4th a “temporary holiday” so that everyone could have a 5-day spring break.
We decided to use part of our break for a quick trip to Taiwan.
Why Taiwan? you might ask. It meets a few major criteria. First, we haven’t been there before. Second, you can take a direct flight from Korea and arrive in 2 hours. Third, it is really affordable in terms of the cost of food, lodging, etc. Fourth, we’ve had friends visit and they’ve all been positive about it.
And so, with almost no knowledge of where we were going or what we were going to do once we got there, we set off to Taipei.
We had a fantastic time.
Since our stay was only three days (including a travel day) we tried to cram as much as possible into the short time that we had. We stayed at a fantastic hostel located down this only slightly sketchy looking alley near Taipei Main Station. The owner of the hostel was a guy named Chunky (who, for the record, was actually quite slim). Chunky spoke impeccable English and was very helpful. After we’d arrived and he’d showed us around the hostel, he pulled out a map and showed us exactly where to go and what to do. The Taipei subway system is excellent, very cheap, and very easy to use, so getting around was a breeze.
First we headed to the Longshan Temple. Longshan Temple was built in 1738 and is one of the oldest temples in Taiwan. I really enjoy the architecture of Chinese temples with all the ornate dragons and the eaves that turn up at the corners of the buildings. I find Korean temples very squat and plain in comparison.
From there we visited the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. Part of the memorial was being renovated and was covered with scaffolding, but we were able to enter this part which reminded me of a cross between the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington D.C. We were also able to witness the changing of the guard at the memorial, an elaborate ceremony that occurs once every hour. All I can say is, if anyone actually wanted to attack the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, the changing of the guard would be the perfect time to do it since it took about 15 minutes for the guards to actually change places.
From the memorial we stopped for lunch at the famous Din Tai Fung restaurant where we had their world famous dumplings. These dumplings have a very thin skin and are filled with broth, meat and veggies. You have to use your spoon when eating them to catch all the yummy juices dripping out. They were amaze-balls. And even though this is a Michelin starred restaurant, our whole meal cost about $18 USD.
I didn’t know we were ready to take the picture…
Taiwan is famous for their food, so I tried to get as much of it in as possible in our few days there. I drank approximately 52 bubble teas and they were the best. (OK, I think I had 3 actually). Again, so cheap. Each one cost about $1.25 USD. You can find bubble tea in Korea, but you pay around $6 USD a pop for them.
After eating we headed out to hike the Elephant Trail, which gave us a terrific view of the city. Unfortunately, it was raining off and on through our whole hike, so our view wasn’t as clear as it could have been, but we still enjoyed getting a little past the city and being able to look down on it.
That evening we went to the Shilin Night Market. There are many Night Markets in Taipei, but unlike in other countries we’ve visited, these markets are not really aimed at tourists. Instead, they are a place for locals to shop, hang out, and eat lots and lots of street food. The Shilin market is known for having lots of cheap shoe stores. I obviously had to buy a pair. These cuties were only about $11 and there were plenty of shoes for even cheaper than that.
After all of that excitement we were exhausted and headed back to our hostel for the night. Even after such a short time we were impressed with how polite the people were, waiting in organized lines for the subway, giving up their seats for the elderly or people with children, and generally being very considerate of others around them. This was such a novelty to us as it is standard in Korea for everyone to push their way onto the subway before the people exiting can even get off and saying “excuse me” or “I’m sorry” for bumping someone is unheard of. I also appreciated being somewhere new and interesting, but without having people stare at me all the time. Even though there weren’t tons of foreigners in Taipei, it seems to be enough of an international city that the two of us weren’t worth making a fuss over.
I have more Taipei adventures to share next week, so stay tuned to read about the rest of our trip!
If you have an adventure to share, add your link to the link-up by clicking the button below. You can participate in all of the adventures or you can just do a few – no pressure. If you missed last week’s adventure you can find it here. And if you are new to my Fifty-Two Weeks of Adventure project you can find out more about it here.
Today’s book chat is a just for fun post. Sometimes when I’m browsing through Amazon looking for good deals some pretty amazing things pop up. Amazing in the sense that you can’t believe that 1) someone actually wrote it and 2) people actually buy it on Amazon. I know there are a few Buzzfeed articles with ridiculous books or book covers on them, but this is my personal list of books I’ve run into that I can’t believe are real.
Don’t forget to check out the list of kindle books currently on sale at the bottom of this post.
Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle. Not only does this book exist, but it has several sequels, too. Unlike most of the books on this list, I’ve actually read this one. One of the kids I used to babysit for loved it so I’ve actually read it many times. Walter is a great dog with just one problem. His farts are the worst. They are so bad that dad says he has to go. But the night before he’s supposed to go to the dog pound, robbers break into the house and Walter has to use his special skills to protect the family. It’s kind of funny and charming – if you’re into that kind of thing. Probably not a book I’d naturally gravitate towards, but hey, some people are super entertained by fart jokes.
The Amish Vs. The Zombiesby Gregory Zschomler. This book has everything. ““Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~Deuteronomy 31:6 HANNAH STROVAL is restless. She has the wanderlust and dreams of exploring the wonders of the world. She wants out of her restrictive Amish community…bad. Zechariah Miller has loved Hannah all his life, but being tied down isn’t what Hannah wants just now. As Hannah is about to leave on a rumspringa excursion to New York, her mother drops a bombshell on her daughter revealing a long-held secret that rocks Hannah’s universe. But the big city wild life isn’t all Hannah hoped it would be and she brings home an unimaginable terror that pits pacifist against predator and nearly tears her district apart. Hannah, Zechariah, her family and friends must come face to face with life, death and choices that will change them…forever. A Romantic Thriller, coming of age story filled with heartache and hope, faith and forgiveness, loss and love.” – synopsis from Amazon. Not gonna lie, it sounds kind of awesome.
Dancing with Jesusby Sam Stall. This is a board book that I would really love to see in person. It is a set of “easy-to-do” dance moves inspired by “the deeds of the original Lord of the Dance, Jesus of Nazareth.” The book contains instructions and illustrations for such dance moves as “The Water Walk,” “The Carpenter Clog,” and “The Temptation Tango.” Intrigued? I know I am.
Who Cares About Elderly People?by Rachael Letch. So, I think this is a book aimed at preschoolers to teach them about caring about other people. It’s part of a whole series of “who cares” books. But you have to admit that the author/publisher did not think it through. Because it sounds like a book all about why the elderly don’t matter. Don’t know anything about the elderly. Who cares?
Spam: A Biography: The Amazing True Story of America’s “Miracle Meat!”by Carolyn Wyman. I actually feel like this book would do great in Asia. Or at least in Korea. Spam is actually something of a delicacy here. It’s sold in special gift sets for you to give to family and friends for all the big Korean holidays. The priciest gift sets will include a large bottle of canola oil surrounded by four cans of spam in a beautiful box. Because nothing says, “I love you,” like canned meat.
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the world of lesser-known books. And hey, if you’re an aspiring writer, you should be encouraged by this. If these books could all get published, why not yours? That’s what I tell myself.
Current Kindle Deals
*As of May 1st. I use the US Amazon site. Prices may vary on other sites.
The Maze Runner, James Dashner ($1.99) I haven’t read this, but the movie was mildly entertaining. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent might be interested.
The Martian, Andy Weir ($5.99) Another one I haven’t read, but everyone who has raves about it.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase a small percentage of your purchase will go towards supporting this site. This does not affect the price of the items in any way.
A few weeks ago I wrote this post about practicing gratitude in the everyday rhythms of life. In that post I also mentioned that I’d like to do a Thankful Thursdays guest series and invited other bloggers who were interested in writing a guest post to contact me. I was blown away by the response.
Over the past few years I’ve become absolutely convinced that there is a direct relationship between gratitude and joy. Some of the most joyful people I know are not the ones who have the best things or who don’t experience hardships. They are simply people who remain grateful for the gifts in their lives instead of becoming bitter or cynical.
More recently I have realized gratitude doesn’t always come naturally – it is something we have to practice. This can be difficult to do, especially when we don’t feel particularly thankful, but I am convinced it’s a spiritual discipline we are called to practice.
I asked writers to share their own thoughts and reflections on gratitude and the role that it plays in their lives.
Today we are kicking off the series with a post from Pradnya Vernekar. Pradnya is a new friend I “met” when she took the challenge to participate in her own 52 Weeks of Adventure. I’ve enjoyed reading about her adventures and getting to know her over the internet. As you’ll see from this post, Pradnya oozes positivity. I always finish her posts with a smile on my face. I hope you enjoy this reflection on the many things we can be thankful for.
Header Image Credit: Symphony of Joy on Flickr Creative Commons
I Live Gratitude
Photo Credit: Sujoy Datta
Gratitude for me means learning to live as if everything in life is a miracle. Gratitude for me means being thankful for all the abundance in my life. Gratitude for me means being surrounded by positive people with pure hearts. Gratitude for me means all of this and much more!
I thank God that I am able to experience and see the breathtaking sunrise with my eyes, that I can hear the waves lashing out at each other and calming down as they approach the shore, that I can smell the corn being grilled on the barbeque, that my tongue salivates to have a bite of that corn, that my feet sink in the sand and I feel I am drowning as the waves disappear back into the sea, that I can fill my palms with water and throw it at my soulmate for fun, that my heart pounds with life when I see a flock of birds intersecting the sunrise and flying over the waters in a single line, that my brain has such vital power to process so many beautiful things at once and let me appreciate the goodness in the world. I am just thankful that my body and my mind are in harmony and let me create happiness from the smallest of things! Many of us take the innumerable functions our body and mind carry out for granted, losing out on the best of life’s moments. Be thankful that you have everything intact in your body and try to acknowledge its greatness!
I thank God that I have 24 hours in a day to follow my heart and do things I love the most. I thank him that on a Monday evening with rain pouring outside, I can sit in my balcony, sipping hot coffee and doing what I love the most – writing! I am grateful to God for blessing me with this unique prowess of writing, enabling me to touch the hearts of people through my expressions in my own small way. I thank God for the love and affection I receive from my readers which cannot be measured in dollars.
I thank God that I get my nutritious meals on time and my home is filled with love and laughter, that I have a terrific soulmate who respects me, that my parents raised me to be a humble human being, that my sister holds my family together, that my in-laws are angels, that I have true friends who genuinely care for me!
I thank God every morning for giving me another day to explore, to enjoy, to learn and breathe! When my hands make a ‘namastey’ with eyes closed in front of God, I do not seek anything from Him. I just THANK Him for the unlimited abundance he has blessed me with and still continues with his blessings!
I simply live gratitude!
Photo Credit: Prachi Chaudhari
About the Author: Pradnya is a dynamic HR, an avid reader, an amateur poet and a natural writer. She is an ardent believer in God and tries to dig up happiness even in the darkest of mines. Join her as she takes you on a joyride called ‘life’ at Wanderings of my Mind and 52 Weeks of Adventure.
Hi, I’m Lily and I take my feelings out on my hair. For my entire life before I went to college my hair looked exactly the same – straight, dark blonde, all the way to my butt. My last year of high school I was allowed to highlight it a bit, but that wasn’t a dramatic change – it was just kicking up the blonde that was already present in my hair.
During the fall semester of my freshman year of college I decided to go nuts. I was young and away from home for the first time. Just as my parents feared, I went crazy. I decided to dye my hair a medium brown.
Here I am at the beginning of college.
And here is the change that started it all. (After the green was corrected).
The initial results of this were pretty exciting, but after a few days it became clear that the box dye I’d used hadn’t been equipped to cover all of my ash blonde highlights and in bright light it was clear that my hair was not really medium brown but was, in fact, pond scum green. I was horrified. I needed professional help.
The professional fixed my hair relatively easily. She just dyed it a darker brown with lots of red in it to counteract the greenish cast. Problem solved. And I loved the deep dark auburn even better than the lighter brown.
I think realizing that I could do something like turn my hair green and still have it be totally fixable was what sparked my obsession with changing my hair. Since then I’ve dyed it regularly everything from chocolate brown to bright copper to strawberry blonde. I also started experimenting with cutting it, though it still took a few years to work up the courage to cut it all the way up to my chin. When I finally tried that the summer after my wedding, I entered a whole new world of possibilities. My hair grows relatively quickly so I’ve grown it long and cut it off again several times since then (though I’ve never grown it all the way to my butt again).
Most of my hair decisions are incredibly spur of the moment. I am suddenly seized with the desire to change. Changing my hair (especially if it’s a dramatic change) makes me feel like I’m being made new. It feels like a fresh start, a way to shake off who I’ve been or where I’ve been, a chance to become a new and hopefully better version of myself. And once I’ve decided to do something I don’t like waiting around.
About two months ago I suddenly decided I wanted to be blonde. I haven’t been blonde since I was 18 and I knew that unlike most color changes, I wouldn’t be able to do this overnight. It’s not possible to go from dark to blonde in one step without damaging your hair, particularly if there is still color left in it from previous dyeing. So I decided to take it slow. I went to the hair dresser and got a few highlights. I figured this would get things started without fully committing. This would, after all, be my 3rd major change in 8 months.
This was my hair this past August – bright copper red
And here it is in December. Brown with bangs.
On Saturday I went back to the hairdresser intending to get a few more highlights. I had been planning to grow my hair out over the summer, but suddenly felt that I HAD to cut it. Immediately. I came out with all the highlights and a swishy bob.
It even has bangs when I want them.
I know I’m squinting in this picture, but you get the idea…
My adventure for this week was another Bombs Away decision and I’m just gonna go with it. I’m ready for a new season and I’m hoping for a change. Maybe this can be a start.
If you have an adventure to share, add your link to the link-up by clicking the button below. You can participate in all of the adventures or you can just do a few – no pressure. If you missed last week’s adventure you can find it here. And if you are new to my Fifty-Two Weeks of Adventure project you can find out more about it here.
When I was a child I used to reread my favorite books over and over again. In fact, when I asked for specific books for Christmas or my birthday I only chose books I had already read and knew I loved enough to want to own. Of course, as a child I had tons of free time to read and my books weren’t usually very long. As an adult, I rarely reread books, mainly because there are SO many books I want to read that I don’t feel like I have the time to spend on a reread. But every once in a while there’s a book I love enough to reread. These are all books I’ve read more than once, and at least one of those times as an adult.
There is also a list of current kindle deals I am aware of at the end of this post.
The Count of Monte Cristo – I loved this story ever since I saw the Wishbone version on TV in elementary school. I hunted down the book and read an abridged version half a dozen times through elementary school. In college I read the whole 800-page thing and loved it just as much. It’s such a great story of revenge and forgiveness. (BTW, the book is pretty different from the movie, in case that’s your only experience with it, though I think we can all agree that Guy Pierce is the ultimate villain and that Jim Caviezel has the sexiest voice of life).
Pride and Prejudice – I’ve probably read this five or six times. I was in seventh grade the first time I read it and it’s an all-time favorite. I know this isn’t a super original pick, but what can I say, there’s a reason it’s so famous. Growing up with sisters I’ve always found myself attracted to stories about sister relationships. And I also have a thing for the Mr. Darcy types- sort of standoffish and mysterious and somewhat brooding. Which is how I ended up with Jonathan. Obviously.
Emma – I’m not sure why I’ve read Emma so many times (3). I’m not even sure that it’s my favorite Jane Austen novel. I really like P&P and I’m also a big fan of Persuasion. But I like Emma’s personality. And I like how all of her meddling bites her in the butt and Mr. Knightley is still into her, even though he’s seen her in every silly and ridiculous stage of her life. I think it’s a much more nuanced picture of love than your typical romance.
Arcadia – This is a play, but I still think that counts as a book. I think I first read this in high school and then again in college and then Jonathan and I went to see the stage play in New York for our first anniversary. Like all of Tom Stoppard’s work, this play is incredibly clever and witty. The entire thing takes place in one room, but it moves back and forth between the 19th and 20th centuries seamlessly and confronts the mysteries of science, mathematics, literature, sex, an romance.
The Poisonwood Bible – I already wrote about this in my favorite literary fiction books so I won’t go into lots of detail, but this book is fantastic. It’s a compelling story, but also a fascinating reflection on colonialism and westernization in the name of Christianity.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – I think I’ve read this three times. I also listed this in my favorite literary fiction books and listed Oskar as one of the most interesting characters I’ve read. I just love it. I actually especially love reading this one aloud. Something about the language.
Lord of the Rings– I first read these with my father as a preteen and read them a few more times in the following years. I was a deeply committed fan before the movies made everyone go crazy for them. At this point I wouldn’t say they are my favorite fantasy books, but they will always remain the quintessential classic.
The Chronicles of Narnia – I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve read The Chronicles of Narnia starting as a child until most recently when I read The Magician’s Nephew and The Horse and His Boy aloud to Jonathan on road trips a few years ago. These books are worth rereading because the stories are timeless and because there is always something new to discover and love about them. In general I really hate allegories, but it doesn’t bother me in Narnia because it doesn’t feel too heavy-handed. These are so short that I can read them in an afternoon, so they are a great go to when you want a quick read. I imagine we’ll read them with our kids some day.
Hamlet– Hey, another play! I really love Shakespeare but Hamlet has to be my favorite. (Again, I’m into those distant, brooding types). Hamlet is just so perfectly, deliciously tragic. And it has everything – ghosts, romance, murder mystery, insanity, revenge, comic relief. It’s something I feel I can always come back to and enjoy.
Harry Potter Series – I’ve read the entire series through twice and read a few individual books more than that. Unlike most people my age who sort of grew up with Harry, I wasn’t allowed to read this books as a kid, so I gobbled them all up between the ages of 17 and 19 (which was how old I was when the final book was published). Harry Potter is wildly popular for good reason. It’s inventive and imaginative and wildly complex and still completely relateable. I think I will continue to read these every few years for the rest of my life. #HP4Eva!
What about you? What are the books you find yourself going back to even though there are so many new books left to read?
Current Kindle Deals
*As of April 24th. I use the US Amazon site. Prices may vary on other sites.
New On Sale:
The Financial Lives of the Poets, Jess Walter ($1.99) I read a different Walter’s book last year (Beautiful Ruins) and really enjoyed it so I’d like to check out this one too.
The Maze Runner, James Dashner ($1.99) I haven’t read this, but the movie was mildly entertaining. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent might be interested.
The Martian, Andy Weir ($5.99) Another one I haven’t read, but everyone who has raves about it.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase a small percentage of your purchase will go towards supporting this site. This does not affect the price of the items in any way.
There’s an old Michael W. Smith/Rich Mullins song called “Step by Step” that I remember singing often as a child. If you were a child (or parent) of the 80’s and 90’s chances are you are familiar with it. The lyrics, borrowing from the Psalms, go like this:
“I will seek you in the morning. And I will learn to walk in your ways. And step by step you’ll lead me. And I will follow you all of my days.”
The song makes it all sound so gentle. I picture those early morning rays on a peaceful beach, Jesus walking just a step or two ahead with me taking small steps into the footprints he’s left behind. The camera pulls back and we see an endless stream of footprints behind me and the horizon ahead, stretching on into eternity. It’s like a motivational poster in an elementary school classroom.
But let’s get real here. For about the last ten years I don’t think God has been leading me step by step. It’s been more like cliff dive after cliff dive. I feel like old-school Mario, you know, before he could fly or turn into a penguin and skim across the ice on his belly. Old-school Mario had to jump to get anywhere and most of the time he was jumping from one inexplicably floating block of brick to another with lots of empty space in between.
My friend Karissa recently wrote a post about some “Geronimo” decisions she’s been making. She explains these as the kinds of decisions that would normally require lots of planning, pro and con lists, internal debates, and lots and lots of detailed information. But lately, she’s found herself making some big decisions quickly and choosing not to regret or second-guess them.
Decisions are hard for me too. I am often plagued with the fear of making the wrong decision. I’m afraid of making the wrong decision and regretting it later, but I’m also afraid of not choosing something and always wondering, “What if?” It’s hard for me to pick the restaurant for dinner or the movie we should watch or which jeans look better, so it’s surprising that most of my biggest life decisions have been Geronimo moments. They were moments where I took a flying leap and never looked back.
At eighteen, I chose to go to college near Chicago, even though I’d never lived outside of Louisiana and had much better scholarship offers elsewhere.
Jonathan and I got married at twenty-two with nothing but a crazy amount of love and two degrees that the ink hadn’t even dried on yet.
The next year we decided to leave Illinois and picked a place on the map where we thought we might like to live. We showed up in Raleigh, NC, a city we’d never even seen before, with two cats, no jobs, and lots of dreams and it quickly became “home” to us.
A few years later, we put all of our things into storage, found a long-term cat-sitter for our fur babies, said good-bye to our friends and family and got on a plane to Korea. We moved to a new country and a new culture that we knew next to nothing about and where we didn’t speak the language.
Each of these were big decisions that we thought about and prayed about beforehand, but when it came down to it, we knew we just had to leap and trust that we’d make it to that next floating rock.
Now we are preparing for another giant leap and somehow this feels like the greatest leap of trust I’ve ever taken. I’ve written a little about the anxiety I’ve been dealing with lately, but I am more afraid of returning home to America than I ever was of moving to Korea.
More than all of the practical elements of our move to yet another new city, making friends, finding a new job and a new place to live, my biggest fear is that I’ll discover that I no longer belong. Already I have been struggling with feeling distant and disconnected from my friends. I have been coming to terms with the fact that going back to America will not just be like coming home. It will be the start of an entirely new adventure. And as much as I love a good adventure, this is the 4th time we’ve moved in 5 years and I’m tired of starting over.
And yet, this is so clearly the path we are meant to take. It’s the next cliff we’re meant to dive off of.
If there’s one thing I know about trust, it’s this. Trust doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t afraid. Trust simply acknowledges that there is something bigger than your fear. It recognizes that your fear is not the only thing and also that it’s not the strongest thing.
Karissa writes, “But some days, you need to live a Geronimo life. You need to make a Bombs Away decision. You need to believe that your gut feeling is enough, that you are enough, that you will dive through that waterfall, be baptized by its drops, and come out on the other side knowing that you survived free-fall. So here’s to you, to both of us, to our fear, to our bravery, to our confidence.”
Sometimes I wonder if we’re even moving forward. It feels like we just keep falling off things. And then I remember the immortal wisdom of Toy Story and think that maybe what we’re really doing is flying. Because we know that flying is just falling with style.
This post is part of a link-up over at Karissa’s blog about Geronimo moments. If you have your own Geronimo story, write about it and join the link-up!
Growing up, my family weren’t huge baseball fans. None of my siblings played baseball or softball (or even tee-ball as kids) and we didn’t live in an area with a Major League team. My grandfather was something of an Atlanta Braves fan, but apart from catching pieces of those games on television when I was at my grandparents’ house, I had no experience with baseball.
Jonathan, however, grew up with a sports-loving father and played baseball from a young age. He has many childhood memories of playing or watching baseball. He took me to my very first baseball game on our first wedding anniversary. We were in New York City so naturally we had to go to a Yankees game. It was an incredibly low scoring game, so I wasn’t overly impressed with the sport, but I enjoyed the atmosphere.
A few years later when we lived in North Carolina, there was a minor league team in Durham (the Durham Bulls) who actually had a really nice stadium not far from where we lived, so we went to a few games there as well as at least one Charlotte Knights game with friends who live in Charlotte. I could take or leave baseball, but I enjoy it as a social event.
Baseball is all the rage in Korea. In fact, our city has its own team (currently ranked #1) and stadium. So last Saturday evening we ventured out to Daegu Stadium to watch the Samsung Lions play. Fun Fact – Instead of teams being named after the city they play for like the Atlanta Braves or the Cincinnati Reds, in Korea the teams are named after their corporate sponsors. So Daegu’s team is called the Samsung Lions and they played against was called the KT Whiz.
Unlike at American sporting events, people are expected, even encouraged to get food outside of the stadium and bring it in with them and the food/drink of choice for baseball games is fried chicken and beer. Food carts line the street outside of the stadium where people sell fried chicken, squid on sticks, tteokbokki, and kimbap.
Another fun fact about baseball in Korea is that there are cheerleaders who dance around in front of the big cheering section. Maybe this exists in other places as well, but in the US, cheerleaders are typically only present at football and basketball games and it would be strange to see them at a baseball or soccer game.
There was a rowdy cheering section of the stands complete with Korean drums and lots of organized cheers, but they were on the opposite side of the stadium from our seats, so we were able to enjoy them from a distance. The stadium isn’t all that large though – in fact, it’s similar in size to the minor league stadiums I went to in North Carolina.
The Samsung Lions won 3 to 1. I think. I was obviously deeply invested or whatever. (Actually, it’s not my fault because there was a family sitting in front of us who clearly live on the American military base and they kept pulling out insane snacks I haven’t seen in years. So I was obviously distracted). Go team! Score some goal point units!
Injury. Ambulance Minivan to the rescue!
If you have an adventure to share, add your link to the link-up by clicking the button below. You can participate in all of the adventures or you can just do a few – no pressure. If you missed last week’s adventure you can find it here. And if you are new to my Fifty-Two Weeks of Adventure project you can find out more about it here.
Some books are great because of a unique plot that keeps you guessing. Some stick with you because they deal with themes that resonate with you. Some have such vivid settings that you feel you’ve actually taken up residence in the world of the book while you read it. Most good books have at least one of these things, but almost all good books have characters you find compelling.
This is a list of some of the most interesting characters I’ve encountered, which is different than saying they are my favorites. Some of these are heroes, but some of them are villains or are otherwise unlikeable characters. What they all have in common is that they are complex, dimensional characters. These are the kinds of characters who aren’t just one thing and their ambivalence is the very thing that makes them so intriguing and memorable. These are the characters that expose the good and the bad in themselves, in humanity, and even in the reader. In no particular order, here is my list of most interesting fictional characters.
1. Ivan from The Brothers’ Karamazov. Ivan is the middle brother, the tortured intellectual, struggling with the moral implications of his philosophical agnosticism. Ivan voices those central questions of existence – Does God exist? How can I love and empathize with my fellow man? Why is there suffering? – and grapples with the answers.
2. Severus Snape from Harry Potter. Snape is set up as a villain from the get-go, but as the series progresses we are confronted here and there with actions that challenge that label. Snape’s motivations are complex and convoluted, but that’s what makes him such an interesting character. Is he ultimately a good guy or a bad guy? Is he self-serving or self-sacrificing? I say he’s both.
3. (and 4) Hazel Grace and Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars. Two terminally ill teenagers try to answer the questions of existence. Augustus tells Hazel,
“I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.”
This is heartbreaking and endearing and depressing and precious all at once. These two characters stayed with me long after I finished the book–the rawness of their pain, the sweetness of their love and the sadness of their nihilistic conclusions about life.
5. Denna from Name of the Wind. Denna isn’t an entirely likeable character. She plays Kvothe like a lute. She’s inconsistent. She’s emotionally volatile. She’s kind of a slut. And yet…she’s so much more interesting than most female characters in fantasy. She has this mysterious past and mysterious goals. She’s incredibly smart which helps her to be manipulative, but there is this sense of something truly haunting her. She panics when she’s contained or pinned down and even when that’s frustrating, you can’t help wondering why. And then there’s the matter that everything we know about her is coming from a potentially unreliable narrator, so there’s the possibility that we don’t even know what we think we know.
6. Oskar from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Oskar is brilliant and precocious and hilarious. He has all of these strange phobias and compulsions like only wearing white clothes and carrying a tambourine with him everywhere he goes and becoming fixated on things like finding out what lock a random key will fit into. But he is endearing and unforgettable and I love him.
7. Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones. I admit that I didn’t finish these books (which I wrote about here) but by the time I stopped, Tyrion was by far the most interesting character. He is cynical and cunning, but he knows how to survive in a world where no one is ever on his side. He sees the intricacies of alliances and betrayals with more clarity than most and while his core ambition is to take care of himself, he has these shining noble moments that soften us towards him, even as he tries to shake those off. He is part of one of the most powerful families in the country, but he is also an outcast and an outsider. To me, he is the least predictable character in this series and that’s part of what makes him so interesting. Sometimes he’s a villain, but sometimes he acts heroically and you are left saying, “How am I supposed to feel?” which I kind of love.
8. Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby. Oh Gatsby. Tragic, relentlessly optimistic Gatsby. Gatsby is the most hopeless romantic of all time. He is the great embodiment of the American dream and its failure to deliver. But he is more than just a symbol, he is a complex person who is driven by a singular passion. To me, he is equal parts tragic and fascinating.
9. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. What can I even say? Atticus is the pinnacle of literary fathers. He is the ultimate role model for honor, justice, and courage. His heroism is in his quiet strength and his unwavering convictions of right and wrong. He’s an interesting character, but he’s also an inspiring character.
10. Long John Silver from Treasure Island. Treasure Island was my first love in terms of classics. I read it at some point in elementary school and proceeded to read it five more times. Pirates, deserted islands with buried treasure, mutiny at every turn – what’s not to love? Even with my limited literary experience, Long John Silver captured my attention – he was the villain, but he also seemed to care about Jim Hawkins in spite of himself. He couldn’t change that he was a pirate and villain, but he was also more than that and every time I read it I couldn’t help hoping that he’d change sides.
What are the most interesting literary characters you’ve encountered? Which characters leave you wanting to know more?
Current Kindle Deals
*As of April 17th. I use the US Amazon site. Prices may vary on other sites.
The Maze Runner, James Dashner ($1.99) I haven’t read this, but the movie was mildly entertaining. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent might be interested.
The Martian, Andy Weir ($5.99) Another one I haven’t read, but everyone who has raves about it.
Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn ($4.20) Not my favorite but lots of people love it.
The Giver, Lois Lowry ($2.99) Still on sale, but for $1 more than last week.
Cinder, Marissa Meyer ($2.99). This is a YA book, the first book of the Lunar Chronicles. It is a futuristic sort-of Cinderella story, except Cinderella is a cyborg and there’s a planet-wide pandemic. Just reading the synopsis, this is not the sort of book I would naturally gravitate toward, but it came highly recommended and I was impressed. It’s clever and imaginative and I couldn’t put it down.
Cress, Marissa Meyer ($2.99). The Lunar Chronicles, book 3. This is part of the same series as Cinder.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase a small percentage of your purchase will go towards supporting this site. This does not affect the price of the items in any way.
Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down
Lily Ellyn 