Read-a-Thon 8:45 am

by Carol8 Comments
Morning, all. I'm looking forward to a day of great reading, but first my answers to the introduction questions. First up on my pile is finishing Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready. After that, I'm just kind of winging it, seeing what grabs my attention when I walk to the bookshelf. Three facts about me: I've never cut the grass. I love spaghetti and sauce, which is what I'm planning on for dinner tonight - quick and easy. I have a ten year-old daughter who unfortunately is not planning on joining me in reading today. I don't really have a set TBR pile. The Truth about Forever, The Chatham School Affair, and The Three Musketeers are all possibilities. I don't have any goals. This is going to be a no pressure day for me. Read, visit others, have fun. I've only done this once before, but I don't have any advice, except maybe through your family out of the house for the day. I didn't manage to arrange...
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Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie

by Carol7 Comments
Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguié (Suggested reading level - Young adult) I'm sticking with the Little Red Riding Hood theme today. Ruth is the main character in this re-telling. Her grandmother, Giselle, has been banished from her village under suspicion of being a witch and now lives alone in a cottage in the forest. Giselle is not a witch, but does know about the beneficial and harmful qualities of plants, studies the stars and the world around her. It was a miracle that the villagers had been content to only banish her and not burn her. Ruth shook her head. Grandmother is no witch; she just asks questions no one else will and manages to find the answers. (pg. 22) One day, when she is still a young girl, Ruth and her brother Stephen are attacked by a wolf in the woods. Stephen stabs the wolf and they are both saved, but Ruth's legs are severely damaged, and though they do heal, the scars...
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Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault

by Carol11 Comments
"Little Red Riding Hood" by Charles Perrault Perrault's version of "Little Red Riding Hood" was first printed in 1697, which is why I chose to read it for today's Fairy Tale Friday rather than the more familiar Grimm's version, told in the 19th century. Little Red Riding Hood, a "little country girl, the prettiest ever seen," was given her nickname because of the red hood that her grandmother had made. Notice that the cloak is red, a vibrant color often associated with sexuality and with blood. Anyway, one day Red Riding Hood is sent by her mother to her grandmother's house in the next village with a cake and some butter, since her grandmother has been feeling ill. Along the way, she meets the wolf who wants to eat her but comes up with a better plan. He asks her where she is going. She tells him and he responds that he will go there too and they will see who gets there...
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So Easy by Ellie Krieger

by Carol3 Comments
So Easy by Ellie Krieger I love cookbooks. I love looking through them, talking about all the delicious sounding recipes, drooling aver the pictures. Actually, sometimes it drives my husband crazy. He's not a big fan of talking about food if there isn't any actually being cooked. And I especially love cookbooks like this, with dishes that I can actually manage in the time I have. I really like how this is divided up, two sections of recipes for each meal. There's quick breakfasts and ones to linger over, lunch to go and lunch at home, dinners for when you're short on time and dinners for when you have a little extra time. That set up is perfect for families like ours, where some morning getting ready for school and work are rushed, especially because I hate waking up, but Saturdays we can relax some. And evenings when I'm done with work at 5, there's not a lot of time to cook...
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More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

by Carol4 Comments
More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell I read this as part of a Sunday School Class David and I attend at our church. Actually, David was one of the people who voted for it. I think it was the wood shaving on the front that drew his attention. I do find apologetics interesting, but I didn't particularly like this book. It's more of an introduction, I guess, than I was looking for. It provides a superficial look at several issues, including the historical accuracy of the Bible, how Christianity and science interrelate, and the reliability of of the eyewitness accounts recorded in the New Testament. This is an updated version of the classic that was published in 1977. I found it very similar to The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, which I actually feel like I got more out of. I did like the discussion questions that were peppered throughout the book. And the authors did have some...
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