Follow Friday and book blogger hop

The question this week is: Have you ever wanted the villain to win at the end of the story?

I cannot think of any example no. Though I guess I have wanted a villain to turn good. I have wanted the villain to make the choice to do the right thing so that everyone could be happy in the end. Alas, short answer and quite boring, but I really can't think of anything else to say. I suppose my answer would have been more interesting if I could have thought of an example of a villain I had wanted to win at the end of the story, but I don't so you all will have to just recommend some twisty villain story to me in the comments.


Crazy for Books asks:

What genre would you switch to if your favorite genre ceased to exist?

Usually I read a lot of fantasy, and I like it a lot because it takes you to another place and helps you discover new things. So I think if fantasy ceased to exist I would start to read more historical novels because they are similar in the way that they take you to another time and place and give you a new experience.

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Follow Friday and (eventually) Book Blogger Hop

If you could write yourself a part in a book what role would it be and what role would you play?

You know, I would love it if my life read like a fiction story! At the end all the loose ends would be tied up. I would know just who the bad guys are and who the good guys were and I’d know why they made the choices they did. I would be rewarded for my good decisions and punished for the bad. It would be nice if my life were mapped like a nice, tight plot.
Too often though, I don’t know the why behind the action of those people around me, and it confuses me. I don’t know if a bad experience is going to lead to the epiphany that helps me find the meaning behind it all. Once one of my students asked me if I believed that everything happened for a reason. I answered, “No.”

As I do have a strong faith in God I wondered if these two beliefs were in contradiction with each other. I do know that God watches out for us and prepares pathways for us, and that he cares for us. Yet, sometimes stuff happens and we never know the reason why. Sometimes those things that happen don’t improve our lives, and in fact make it worse. Better yet, sometimes really good things happen and there really isn’t anything we have done to deserve it. There is no reason or why. The blessing just is— there is nothing we could have done to merit some things.

Yet, I sometimes hope at the end of my life I’ll be able to look at the good and the bad and make sense of it all. I hope that I can look back as Joseph of Egypt, who got sold into slavery by his brothers. He had a lot of crappy stuff happen to him, but each experience he had lead him to his next position in life, until finally he was the right hand man to Pharaoh. Then he was able to save his family (not to mention the population of more than one nation) from starvation, because he had counseled pharaoh to save up a huge supply of grain during his seven years of plenty. His faith in God allowed him to accept and find the best of each situation, and his faith that God had made his experiences for his good allowed him to forgive his brothers. I only aspire to have that kind of faith.



This week the book blogger hop asks:

What is the longest book you have ever read?

I think that would have to be the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday

How have your reading habits changed since you were a teenager?

Wow, what a thought provoking question. I need to think about this. I guess I don't read romance as much.

I have also found myself more selective. As a teen a had lots of free time to try out any book regardless of quality. Now I don't try out a book unless I am pretty sure I am going to enjoy reading it. I've grown some pretty refined tastes.

I still like fantasy though. I have started to try and branch out into Science Fiction this year though. I've discovered steampunk.

The biggest thing though and perhaps the saddest is that I think I have finally lost my interest in Harry Potter. Alas. I never saw the Deathly Hallows movie and still don't have a great desire to see it. The announcement of pottermore did not excite me. I think it is cool, but the idea of running around and solving clues to get background book content makes me feel annoyed. I don't have the time or the inclination to run around on a computer game solving riddles when I have a baby and a husband to take care of. I rather write in my free time instead.

So, the death of the Harry Potter fanaticism is strange to me. Perhaps, I have finally grown up. Perhaps I am ready to put this story away, not that I don't want to share it will my kids when they are old enough, but it needs to hide away in a dusty corner of my mind until it is ready to be rediscovered again one day.


The hop's prompt is on interesting book titles:

Also thought provoking.

Scott Westerfeld's steampunk series titles have always intrigued me.

Leviathan, Behemoth, Goliath. All are words that make you think of creatures that are larger than life, and a bit mystical.

I also think Shannon Hale's books Austenland and Book of a Thousand Days have interesting titles. Austenaland because it refers back to Jane Austen the woman to whose work Hale play homage. Book of a Thousand Days makes you wonder what happened to that person in a thousand days was so important that they would write a book about it? It immeadiately intrigues me and fits so well with the diary format of the book.

So, that's all I have for today. Have a nice weekend folks! I can't wait my husband is off work! I love having him home for two whole days. Please Follow!

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday

The Crazy for books prompt today is what arc am I dreaming about currently?

This is a hard question. Currently I am really looking forward to reading Pegasus II by Robin Mckinley but it doesn't come out till next year. I'd love an arc of the next book by Jessica Day George, Tuesday's at the Castle. So, yes. I guess I am in a fairy tale fantasy mood this morning.


This week I am going to do Follow my book blog Friday too! Yea, I am being more social! If you can call blogging social.
They asked what is one book that really affected or changed your life?
I have read many books that have made me think and put me on a new direction in my life, but I got to say the Fiction book that has impacted me the most has got to by Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I read it in high school and it was one of those path changing books. I was inspired by the tale of Frodo the hobbit, and it was the first book I remember reading where I REALLY wondered how the author was going to pull of a happy ending. Which made Frodo's victory even sweeter still. Lord of the Rings changed how I looked at life and inspired my love for fiction that has resonance (as Dave Farland calls it). It also inspired me to write my own stories. 

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Book Blogger Hop

The prompt of the week:  Highlight one book you recieved this week

This one is sort of hard since I didn't recieve any books this week. Though, I guess my husband did deliver to me his most recent manuscript of his Science Fiction novel Wolfhound. I am giving it one last read through before we hand it over to a copy editor we hired. After that we shall get it ready for an e-book release in December.

I really am enjoying this most recent version. There are new scenes added and characters are fleshed out and now that I think about it my husband really has done an excellent job this time around of clarifying the motivations of his main character, Jacob.

As I wrote that last sentence my heart swelled with joy. I love watching my husband grow as a writer. This is such a fun journey for us, and we get to do it together as a team. Happiness!

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Blog Hop again!

This week's book prompt is:
What genre of books do you wish you could really get into, but you just can't?

I wish I could get more into science fiction. Most of the science fiction that I read are novel manuscripts written by friends. Yet, when I pick up a sci-fi book off the shelves more often than not I get really bored. I wish I could be more interested in this genre, but I am just not. I like dystopian and apocalyptic science fiction, but actual true space-ship and planet exploring science fiction never has interested me as much as other types of fiction. I keep thinking one day I'll find a really good book that will get me hooked into the genre but it hasn't happened yet. Alas.

Tis sad but true.

Thanks for stopping by if you are from the book bloggers hop! I'd love for you to say hi or follow me.(hint! hint! I need more followers! 5 is a very sad number)

Joining the Blog Hop today!

This weeks question is about where I get the books that I review.

The majority of the books I review come from the library. After that my reviews are based off of books I buy and several times a year I get an ARC from a publisher or author.

So, yeah, the library actually serves me quite well because the library in our area has a really good interlibrary loan system which makes my access to books a lot bigger and a lot easier because I can just put them on hold and pick them at the libray.

Currently, I am looking forward to getting Candice Fleming's new non-fiction book on Amelia Earhart.

Book Blogger Hop

So, I am participating in the book blogger hop this week! I finally got around to trying to find some new cool book blogs.

I found that Starmetal Oak is a Brandon Sanderson Fan! We should totally be friends! 'Cause anyone who likes Sanderson is cool.

I also visited Swords for Fighting

Books Books Books (she's from the UK. I've never read a UK book blog before. I am intrigued.)
One book at a time

Book Love

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