My Reading Challenges

This year, I decided to participate in some reading challenges. This is my first time ever participating in challenges, so I'm still not quite sure on what to do yet. 

While I'm figuring it out, I wanted to share the progress of my personal challenges. 

GoodReads 2012 Reading Challenge 

So My goal this year was to read 80 books.

How am I doing so far?

Well, um . . . not so good. I've only read 16 books!

In all fairness, I was sick for one month with an upper respiratory infection, and then I experienced some bouts with appendicitis. I'm very behind on my reading challenge and my book reviews at the moment. The good news is that I should catch up by April ;)

Just For Fun Reading Challenge

Hosted by Dollycas at Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book

This challenge was to read a book every month just for fun!

Here's how I'm doing so far:

December: 

(included just to make me feel better)

January:

February: 

50 States Reading Challenge 

Hosted by Book Obsessed 

The goal for this challenge is to review books that take place in the United States. By the end of the year, I should have read one book per a state.

How's that challenge going so far?

I'd say an epic fail. I keep ending up with books that take place in Europe. 

Here's what I have so far . . .

Kentucky:
Words Spoken True by Ann H. Gabhart

Massachusetts:
The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden

Minnesota:
The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

Montana: 
The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

Ohio:
Rose's Pledge by Sally Laity and Diana Crawford
Tomorrow's Sun by Becky Melby
Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

South Carolina:
Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones

Tennessee:
First Date by Krista McGee

Virginia:
Before the Scarlet Dawn by Rita Gerlach

Wyoming:
Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot

As you can see, I pretty much have the mid-west covered, with a few of the upper western states.

Did you set any challenges this year? How are they coming along? I'd love to hear about it. 

I've Been Tagged!

I was tagged by Abbi from Christian NovelsThanks so much Abbi!  
The Rules

If you are tagged, post 11 random things about yourself. Answer the questions I (the tagger) asked you, then create 11 new questions for the people you tag, and go to their blog and let them know they've been tagged.

11 Random Things About Me

1. I love to highlight anything that I think is important. This trend has led to my Bible looking like the Wizard of Oz technicolor department invaded my Bible.

2. I only drink water and coffee. My only exception is for any drink with Raspberry in it. 

3. If I'm cooking waffles for breakfast, and stumble upon ice-cream in the freezer, it never fails that I will eat Waffles a La Mode for breakfast that day.

4. I used to be terrified of dogs. Even seeing one from a distance left me in panic. I now own the most precious little Pitt-bull on the planet!

5. I always carry chap-stick in my pocket or purse. I'm never without it.

6. On my mother's side, I'm a descendant of one of the few families that founded Maryland--complete with documentation. I'm also related to Louisa May Alcott (though not her descendant), the author of Little Women.   

7. When I come across a Scottish or Irish person, I have to remind myself not to overwhelm them with questions for the sole purpose of hearing their awesome accent. 

8. I research anything that interests me. If I have a question, I will research it until there is nothing left to know about the subject.

9. I have never been camping.

10.  I only go the movie theater once a year. 

11. Every year I do a thematic Bible study on my own by focusing on one characteristic of God or an idea. I then study everything the Bible has to offer on that one characteristic. Last year it was "majesty". This year, it's freedom "freedom." This always helps me delve deeper into knowing more about the amazing God we serve.

Questions from Abbi

1. Indoors or Outdoors? 

     Actually, I equally love and am comfortable with both! Whenever I get the chance, I visit the local parks. I used to spend my lunch breaks there. 

2. What is your biggest pet peeve?

     This is a hard one! I'd have to say my biggest pet peeve is when people start sprouting out made-up information, assumptions, or regurgitated propaganda while trying to make a point in any debate. I believe if a person hasn't researched the information on their own, then they have no right to bring it into any debate. I can't stand it! We live in the information age, so there's no excuse for it.  

3. When you die what is the one thing you most want to be remembered for?

    That I shined God's glory in this world, and helped to lift high and make the Name of Jesus even more famous, especially to those who are broken, hurting, forgotten. At least that's what I hope those closest to me remember me for. As far as those who aren't close to me, I hope they don't remember me at all. I want my heartbeat and Jesus' to be so close that you can't tell where I end and He begins. 

4. On a plane, do you like the aisle, middle, or window seat? Why?

      Window! I love to look at the clouds, and other planes that pass by. I'm a geography person as well, so when we're flying low enough, I get to study the landscapes. 

5. Paperback, Hardback, or ebook?

     Ebook. The edging of a physical book always rubs the area between my thumb and index finger, turning it bright red and even blistering it. 

6. If you could meet one person, living, dead, or fictional, who would it be and why?

      Apollos from the Bible! He sounds like such an awesome, educated, zealous, godly man!  Yes, he's mentioned only in Acts and a few of Paul's letters, but from what I know of him, he's the kind of guy, that if he were living, he'd have this girl's heart doing some serious jumping jacks. 

7. Favorite Classic? 

     Frankenstein! While some have debated that Mary Shelley wrote this novel to show God as someone who abandoned us, I viewed it in the exact opposite. I found this novel drawing me closer to my Creator, and it reminded me of how much He loves us when we didn't turn out the way He intended. He didn't abandon us, He sent Jesus. He loved me in my state of ugliness. I also like the anti-abortion theme in this novel.   

8. What are you favorite TV shows and movies?

     My favorite movie is The Great Escape. It's an old Steve McQueen movie. I don't know why I love it, I just do. My favorite TV show, for the moment, is Once Upon A Time. 

9. What is the best gift you have ever received?

     For Christmas, when my parents finally gave a goat to a family in Africa. I've put in on my Christmas list every year, and finally got it a few years ago. 

10. If you were given 3 wishes, one for you, one for your community, and one for the world, what would they be?

      My wish for myself would be that I could somehow, in someway, always make a difference. My wish for my community would be that all the churches would come together and provide a massive effort to end homelessness in this area. For the World, that we would see an end to slavery, and that all of those victims would find complete healing and wholeness in Jesus.

11. What is one book that you love to recommend to people?

         Redeeming Love! It's such a powerful re-telling of the book of Hosea. 

My Questions 

1. What is the number one place you want to visit more than any other?

2. If you could live in any era, what time period would you live in, and why?


3. What book would you love to see become a movie?


4. Do you prefer to travel by plane, car, ship, or train?


5. What is your favorite memory?


6. Do prefer the city or the country?


7. What are the top three songs on your iPod or mp3 player?


8. Is there a movie or book you will never get tired or reading or watching?


9. Who is your all-time favorite character, and why?


10.  What was your favorite required reading novel in school?


11. Who was your favorite teacher?




People I'm Tagging

1. Megan - Hardcover Feedback
2.  Christy - Southern Sassy Things
3. Cathy - Thoughts on Books
4. Shannon - Shenandoah's Eclectic Musings
5. Diana - Diana Estrella
6. Lydia - Overweight Bookshelf
7. Brooke - I Blog 4 Books
8. Donna - Books and Such 
9. Renee - My Reading Adventures
 10. Lori - For the Love of Reading 
11. Gwendolyn - Gwendolyn Gage  

Fiction that Highlights the Civil War

If you live in the South, it's almost certain you're more than familiar with the Civil War. I live in Charleston, South Carolina--yes, the very place that opened fire on Fort Sumter, thus sparking the bloodshed of the war. To say that I'm familiar with the Civil War is an understatement. 

This Saturday I'm attending a re-enactment called the Battle of Secessionville. While South Carolina didn't secede from the Union until December, murmurs of secession actually began in November when President Lincoln won the election. From November on, a sticky situation with Fort Sumter, a military fort which lies off the Charleston Harbor, slowly led to what we now call the Civil War. It became a fuse of sorts, sparked by Lincoln's election and continuing to burn through until it exploded in April, when South Carolina opened fire on Federal troops in Fort Sumter. 

For those of you interested in Civil War fiction, I've compiled a list of some books you might be interested in. 

Just a note: Some of these books are installments to series. Rather than list each individual book, I've included the cover image and description of the first book from any series. The link will take you to the entire series home page, where you can view each book from the collection.

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

My review 

It isn’t until the Civil War comes to her doorstep that Amanda Bell must choose between love and family.

It's the spring of 1861 on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Amanda never thought she would marry because of a promise she made to her dying mother, but her attraction to Captain Kent Littlefield is undeniable.

When Texas secedes from the Union, her brother Daniel aligns with the Confederate States, while Kent remains with the Union troops.

Her heart is torn between the two men she is closest to and the two sides of the conflict. Amanda prays to God for direction and support, but hears only silence. Where is God in the atrocities of war—and whose side is He on?

Amanda senses her life is at a turning point. She must trust God to deliver her family through the chaos of war with her heart and her faith intact.

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner 

My Review of this Novel

As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.
    

The Crossing (Last Cavaliers, #1) by Gilbert Morris

From the beloved author of the bestselling House of Winslow series comes a new trilogy about the Civil War. Join Gilbert Morris as he explores the life of General Stonewall Jackson through the story of the fictional Yancy Tremayne. Raised among the Cheyenne, Yancy rejects the Amish community his father rejoins and instead studies under Thomas Jackson, a professor at the local military school. When war breaks out, will Yancy further distance himself from the pacifist community and join the fighting? And can he find a home for his heart?

Candle in the Darkness (Refiner's Fire, #1) by Lynn Austin

My Review of this Book

Candle in the Darkness, Book One in the Refiner's Fire series, tells the story of a timid southern girl who finds her voice as she begins to tell the truth about the atrocities around her. A short stay in the North confirms her abolitionist feelings, but when she returns to the South she finds herself torn between her home, a beloved suitor who doesn't share her feelings, and the principles she knows are true. Standing for right may mean standing alone. Does she have the courage?

An Eye for Glory by Karl A. Bacon 

Michael palmer is a good man, a family man. But honor and duty push him to leave his comfortable life and answer the call from Abraham Lincoln to fight for his country.

 This “citizen soldier” learns quickly that war is more than the battle on the field. Long marches under extreme conditions, illness, and disillusionment challenge at every turn.

Faith seems lost in a blur of smoke and blood … and death. Michael’s only desire is to kill as many Confederate soldiers as he can so he can go home. He coldly counts off the rebels that fall to his bullets. Until he is brought up short by a dying man holding up his Bible. It’s in the heat of battle at Gettysburg and the solemn aftermath that Michael begins to understand the grave cost of the war upon his soul. Here the journey really begins as he searches for the man he was and the faith he once held so dearly. With the help of his beloved wife, Jesse Ann, he takes the final steps towards redemption and reconciliation. Using first-hand accounts of the 14th Connecticut Infantry, Karl Bacon has crafted a detailed, genuine and compelling novel on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Intensely personal and accurate to the times, culture, and tragedy of the Civil War, An Eye for Glory may change you in ways you could have never imagined as well.

Unwilling Warrior (Seasons of Redemption, #1) by Andrea Boeshaar

Amid the dangers of the Civil War, Valerie Fontaine longs to know she is loved and saved. Her father, however, is cold and withdrawn. And their Christian houseguest, the photographer Benjamin McCabe, seems arrogant and judgmental. When Valerie commits her own life to Christ she finds herself drawn to Ben. But her father, against her wishes, is prepared to sell her into a loveless marriage with someone else. Will Valerie be forced to abandon her newfound love? or will she and Ben, against the backdrop of this country's most ruthless war, become in their own way, unwilling warriors?

A Blue and Gray Christmas by various authors 

Surrender yourself to the forces of love in four engaging Civil War Christmas romances. Join up with Leah Woods as she searches for her missing fiancé in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Stick to your guns with Arabella Lambert as she pledges her allegiance to pacifist Barry Birch, a man labeled a coward. Ride out the storm with Rachel Thornton as she resists her attraction to the wounded artist James Galloway. Saddle up with Confederate-born Hannah McIntosh as she falls for Chris Haley, an embittered Union soldier. Can these couples forge an everlasting union in the tide of civil war?

Then Came Faith by Louise M. Gouge

The War Between the States may be over, but America is still in turmoil. Determined to show mercy to the ravaged South, Boston abolitionist Elizabeth travels to New Orleans, where she falls for the handsome Andre---a naval officer, and a Confederate through and through. Given their opposing loyalties, does their love stand a chance? 384 pages, softcover from White Stone.

All the Aunt Anns in the World

I'm sure some of you have noticed I haven't posted anything in quite some time. Three weeks ago, in the beginning of February, I received a call from my family in Illinois. They called to let us know that my great-aunt had been admitted to the hospital for pain and now had kidney failure. She didn't have much longer to live. My family and I stopped whatever we were doing, packed up everything, and drove seventeen hours away to be with her in the hospital. When we arrived two days later, we spent the entire night in the hospital with her. She passed away the next morning. Her long battle with Colon cancer had ended.


The next two weeks threw my family into a whirlwind of grief and overwhelming planning as we prepared her celebration of life ceremony.


My great-aunt was an amazing woman. I longed to write a post on her life, a memorial if you will.Being in Illinois, however, I had no access to wi-fi. So that desire seemed out of the question at the moment.


In life, one realizes that while every person is unique and touches lives in a certain way, there is a special group of people that are so rare, so extraordinary, and selfless, who touch lives in such a profound way that the legacy they leave behind proves how much of a gem that person is. My great-aunt was one of those people.  I feel like the sacrifices she made for those she loved and the courage she displayed are worthy of attention. For in her actions there is a profound lesson for each of us that we can carry.


I know that each of us have encountered at least one person in that special group I talked about. I want to hear from you. Leave a commenting telling who that person is and the kind of legacy they left behind. Let's a raise a tribute to all the "Aunt Ann s" in the world. 

Mistake to Post from trip to Illionis

For those of you who took a look at the pictures I posted from my trip to Illionis, some might have noticed a slight mistake on one of the captions. My uncle pointed out that Lincoln's tomb is not in Quincy. The proper location of the picture is attached to the steamboat caption. I tried my best to fix it, but it can not be fixed. I decided to go ahead and post the location of Lincoln's tomb. It is Springfield, Illionis. Sorry for any confusion. God bless!

My Trip to the Past

This summer my family and I took a trip to Quincy, Illionis to visit my father's family. Obviously, my father grew up in this quaint, quiet, little, mid-western town. Unless my cousins visit us, I'm not usually thrilled to take these trips. There really isn't much to do in the town. Or at least . . . there wasn't.