kapachino

Category: books & reading

  • Friday Things: Making Me Happy

    My all-time favorite book is The Lord of the Rings, and it’s been a deep sadness of mine that David doesn’t share my love. He’s never shown any interest in reading the book, and according to him he “suffered” through the first movie when it came out in the theater.

    But it’s been a month since he’s had to be home from work, and he recently got it into his head that he’d watch the top 50 movies from imdb.com. Guess what? All three of the LOTR movies are on there. And since I already own them, he started watching them at home all by himself. I was so proud!

    The best part is, he actually likes them now. He uses subtitles so he can keep track of all the names and places and he doesn’t mind them being so long since he’s in the comfort of his own home and can pause anytime he wants to. He even started reading The Hobbit! And yesterday he took a trip to Half Price Books and came back with The Children of Húrin, the only book about Middle Earth that I haven’t read because it was published after Tolkien’s death.

    I know it took a lot for him not to buy anything for himself, but he saw this and had to get it for me. He’s the sweetest. :)

    ***

    I’ve been making more progress on my hopelessly antiquated cross stitch project. It’s not my style at all, but it was free & still so much fun to see it come together. Working on it in front of a movie has become my new favorite way to unwind, and I’ve already found some projects I want to take on after this one is complete. Some of them are: Sherlock Holmes silhouette, birdhouse tree, hidden lily, and so many things from this Etsy shop.

    ***

    It’s true that our pups aren’t always a source of happiness, like when I’m trying to sleep in and they decide to use my bed as a wrestling ring, or when we’re trying to relax and they won’t stop pawing at us, or when we’re watching a movie and someone walks by outside and they flip out like it’s the most! exciting! thing! ever! but gosh, I love them so much that I can’t imagine life without them.

    Every cuddle, every lick, the way Oliver lies upside down all twisted, the way Eddie tilts her head to one side, how when Cleo gets excited her whole body wags, I can’t get enough of any of it. Our house may be covered in a thin layer of fur, and we may not always get the peace and quiet we think we want, but it’s so worth it.

    ***

    All pictures taken on the Hipstamatic app from my iPhone.

  • Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

    Although I don’t consider myself chronically plagued by fear or anxiety, this year has been hard in ways that I never imagined, and I find myself experiencing a lack of the confidence I usually have in life. Despite this realization, I still wasn’t sure that Max Lucado’s newest book, Fearless, would apply to me, but when I burst into tears on page twenty-three, I knew I had some deep issues with fear.

    I don’t think it’s just me; I think everyone is afraid of something, especially during these precarious days. This book deconstructs some common fears one by one, such as fear of not mattering, of disappointing God, of worst-case scenarios, of what’s next, of not protecting your kids, and that God is not real, for a few examples. He then goes on to show how that fear is misguided and unnecessary, and gives advice and encouragement in how to overcome it.

    I had never read a book by Max Lucado before this one, and I can say that it was certainly inspiring and uplifting. It caused me to look at myself in a different way, and raised questions that might not have otherwise come to the surface, at least not without difficulty. The reason why I’m saying that I liked this book and I didn’t love it is that it struck me as somewhat brief. The chapters are short and easy to read, and because of that some depth is lacking. I think a workbook or study guide would be a helpful addition.

    Overall I definitely recommend it, if for no other reason than to help you take a fresh look at yourself and your fears.

    ***

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • book review: animal, vegetable, miracle by barbara kingsolver

    As the author herself describes it, “This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew…and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air.”

    Sounds like a nice little memoir, but this book is much more than just their family’s story of eating nothing but local, organic food. It’s also a well-researched defense for this way of life, and I have to say, I’m sold. Give me a few acres of land and a pitchfork and I’ll learn to garden & farm to my heart’s content.

    OK, maybe I won’t go that far. But seriously, this book has had an enormous impact on me. It has hit me from all sides: logically, emotionally, medically, ethically, and even spiritually. It is impossible for me to eat the same way – or even shop the same way – now that I’ve read this book.

    Already I’ve made changes. If there’s an organic option at the grocery store, I’m choosing it. In fact, I’ve started frequenting farmer’s markets and all-organic stores like Georgia’s Market. Sometimes it’s really hard to do, because the price difference is noticeable, but to buy conventional food now would require me to actively ignore what I know to be true, and I just can’t do that. I’m not going to get into it here, because I couldn’t even scratch the surface – and that’s what the book’s for.

    I want to make even more changes eventually. I signed up for a class to learn how to make my own cheese and dairy products at home, for example. And I want to learn how to garden, although I didn’t know the first thing about it before reading this book. I couldn’t have even told you what fruits or vegetables are in season when, except that watermelons are for summer and pumpkins are for fall. I have a backyard, and I don’t want to use it just as a giant toilet for my dogs. I want to grow things, and eat them.

    Does this sound boring? It’s not. If you’ve ever read anything by Barbara Kingsolver you know that she writes beautifully, and this holds true for nonfiction. (Incidentally, if you’ve never read The Poisonwood Bible do so as soon as you can. You’re welcome.) I was captivated from beginning to end, and never felt the words coming across were judgmental or snobbish.

    I may not ever like vegetables as much as the next girl, but I do plan on retasting some of the ones I previously rejected: asparagus, for one. And I may not ever be able to tell the difference between a Yukon Gold and an All-Blue potato, but I do believe I can make a difference with the way I eat.

  • Spring Reading Thing

    Since I’m already furiously reading trying to fulfill several goals for myself (read 50 books this year, read all the books I own but haven’t read, read 5 Pulitzer Prize winners, and read 5 books of David’s choosing), I decided to join this lovely spring reading challenge. I’m posting my entry today because the deadline for joining is tonight!

    Hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days, the idea is simple: you decide what books you will read this spring, and then you read them. Read more about the challenge here.

    Here are the books I will read this spring:

    • The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
    • Emma by Jane Austen
    • The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
    • The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
    • Fearless by Max Lucado
    • The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
    • The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
    • The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld
    • A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
    • Plus two book club books that I’ll add when I know what they are!

    I tried to give myself a mix of genres and lengths. I won’t be reading them in this order, but I think I can get to all of them by June 20.

  • Book Quizzes

    For today’s literary installment, I thought it would be fun to take some online quizzes and share my results. I’m posting links, so please take them too and let me know what you get!

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    One: What’s Your Reading Personality?

    Take the quiz here.

    My results: All-Rounder!

    Your responses showed you fitting equally into all four reading personalities:

    Involved Reader: You don’t just love to read books, you love to read about books. For you, half the fun of reading is the thrill of the chase – discovering new books and authors, and discussing your finds with others.
    Exacting Reader: You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you’d like – so you’re very particular about the books you choose.
    Serial Reader: Once you discover a favorite writer you tend to stick with him/her through thick and thin.
    Eclectic Reader: You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You’re open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors.

    My thoughts: While it may be a cop-out to just say that I fit into all the categories, it’s so true. Each one of those describes me perfectly.

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    Two: What Book Describes You?

    Take the quiz here.

    My results: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you’ve also taken a significant amount of flack. But you’ve had the admirable guts to persevere. There’s a weird guy in the neighborhood using dubious means to protect you, but you’re pretty sure it’s worth it in the end. In the end, it remains unclear to you whether finches and mockingbirds get along in real life.

    My thoughts: Um, this doesn’t describe me at all. I took the quiz several times to see if I could choose different answers to get a better result, but the ones I chose are the ones that describe me. Did anyone get an accurate description?

    ***

    Three: What Kind Of Reader Are You?

    Take the quiz here.

    My results: Dedicated Reader

    You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more. Part literate good citizen, part obsessive-compulsive bookworm, part book snob.

    My thoughts: Right on.

    ***

    Well, that was fun! Now it’s your turn, and don’t forget to let me know your results in the comments. :)