I still have hope

As one who has recently decided to separate from her husband, I found this book, Hope for the Separated by Gary Chapman, to be well worth the read.  There are a few things in the book that upset me enough to send me into a depression, though.  for a book that's supposed to be about HOPE, it's odd that I spiraled into depression rather than felt uplifted. 

I spoke with my counselor regarding some of the things that upset me and she said that I have to weed out what's worth reading from what IS in a book like this.  An author like Gary Chapman knows what he's doing, but at the same time, ever situation is different and it's impossible to cover EVERY different type of situation in such a book.

There is a lot of reassurance and a reminder that I do need to stay the course....it is an act of love forcing my husband and I to have a better marriage---a marriage that truly honors God rather than just a marriage where he's here and I'm here and that's all.

Pray for my husband and I........I haven't given up hope...

PARADISE LOST: It is TOOOOOO...........

I just don't have the energy right now to do a full-blown blog about PARADISE LOST.....Suffice it to say that while I love the STORY Milton presents, it is SO INCREDIBLY VAST.  I get that it's an epic poem and as such, must be VAST.  But at the same time, the STORY could have been written in the course of one book rather than in 12 and that's just frustrating.  The descriptions are, indeed, vivid and fill my imagination, but they're TOOOOOOOOOO.............(you fill in the blank). 

I have a thousand topics to talk/write about as far as PL is concerned, but right now, that's all I care about writing.  Maybe one day I'll come back and do a blog/review that does PL justice....

Everyone can know the Will of God

I took a couple of minutes while I was on my retreat this past week to read Charles Shepson's book HOW TO KNOW GOD'S WILL.  Even though I have been able to tell when God wants me to do something most of the time throughout my life, it never hurts to be reminded of other ways God reveals His Will for us.  Plus, it's great to be reminded of how God reveals His will so I am assured that I am, truly, listening to the voice of God rather than just want I want or think I want.  It's a fairly quick read, and definitely well worth anyone's time to read.  The most important point Shepson makes is the importance of being in the Word--reading our Bible.  No matter what, we can't even begin to pretend that we're knowing what God wants for us, or for us to do, if we aren't in the Word EVERY day.  Amen, Brother Shepson.  Amen.

I hope to get a copy or two of this book as soon as I can so I can share it with all my friends!

A good book about books!

Jodi and her daughter Samantha have hit a home-run with BETWEEN THE LINES!  This was a fun, quick read with a great story!  My only negative about the story is that I thought it was pretty predictable.  I know it's a bit of a twist at the end, but it's honestly exactly what I expected to happen--by the time I finished the first full section (the book is laid out with exerts from the book Delilah is reading, the story of the main character in the book Delilah is reading and how he wants to get out (Oliver is his name), and Delilah's version.  So by "section," I mean once the reader gets through the first set of 3 perspectives.  Even with that predictability for me, I thoroughly enjoyed reading BETWEEN THE LINES.  It looks like Samantha Van Leer is well on her way to being a great writer, just like her mom, if not better!

More to LEGACY than meets the eye...

LEGACY is an interesting modern fairy-tale-style story.  It is very predictable, but in mostly a good way.  So far, not one person in the story is turning out to be who I expect each to be.  There are definitely more layers to the different characters than first meets the eye.  The only problem with that is that, to me, it's obvious that the author doesn't want the reader to get too comfortable with the characters' personalities.  She definitely wants there to be an element of mystery to all the characters that it looks like I'm going to have to read the rest of the series to figure out.  There's definitely more to London than meets the eye.  So far, he's my favorite character, but I trust him the least.  Yet, if I had to choose someone from the "Elite Guard" to protect me, I would choose London over everyone else!  And Steldor?  Hmmmm....a player who's more likable than the Princess gives him credit for....I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes these characters in the rest of the series....

Where's Sly?

I don't really have a lot to say about Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW....the biggest thing that always bothers me about this one is the fact that the whole joke on Sly ends by the end of Act I.  We have this whole long "Induction" where we learn about Sly and the Duke's joke that he's playing on Sly, then we see them again, very briefly, at the end of Act I where Sly is accused of falling asleep during the play, and then that's it.  No more Sly.  What happened to Sly?  Why did Shakespeare not finish the frame?  What's the deal?  Did he get tired of that part and just leave it out because he didn't care to finish with it?  Was he forced to finish the play or turn it in "as is" because they needed to begin performing/practicing the play?  What was the deal?  It's so odd.....

I'm not going to talk about how truly odd it is that Petruchio is able to "tame" Katherine to such a degree that she is....and apparently pretty quickly, at that!  Interesting.....

Happy Late Roald Dahl Day!

I started re-reading THE BFG a few weeks ago in honor of "Roald Dahl Day."  THE BFG is my favorite Dahl book, so it was awesome to revisit it.  Of course, it's just the strangest thing that a giant reaches in to an orphanage, kidnaps a little girl, and when he takes her back to England, no one questions the kidnapping!  And, even though Sophie has only known the BFG for one day, they've already connected such that she looks at him as a father and he at her as a daughter....even though half the time, the BFG is accusing Sophie of being rude, interrupting and/or correcting him all the time. 

No matter what, though, I love Dahl!  I wish I'd been more aware of him when I was younger because he was alive when I was in high school and just starting college.  I could have gone to a book signing or something like that if I'd been paying better attention!  Oh well.  At least now I can appreciate him and his works as they deserve to be....!!!

I sure hope everyone gets a chance to pick up and read ANY Roald Dahl book as soon as you can!