Bookworm

     So, this week my British lit professor is requiring us to read Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Out of all the wide world of British literature, even keeping to the latter time frame (this is BritLitII), she chooses that?! I'm convinced that it's because she is simply ignorant of the better choices out there.

     Luckily, I was raised to think that books were one of the basic necessities of life, along with clothes, a house, and some mac and cheese every now and then. Here is a short list of my favorites. I know better that to say top five or whatever, because there's no way I can condense my list that much. Both my giant bookcases are filled with my 'favorites' so five isn't happening. Five rows maybe... :)

• The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffeneger: If you've seen the movie, well, the book is a bazillion million times better. Yes, that much. I don't get sappy at movies or books, but I teared up a few times through this one. It's just one of those timeless romances, waaay better than Twilight ever thought about being.

• In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, by Neil White: Actually, I read this for school. Granted it was extra credit, but it was still one of the most phenomenal bios I've ever read. White is actually from Oxford, MS. He got caught embezzling and was sent to prison at Carville, LA, which was also the national leprosarium then. He writes about being in prison with the people with leprosy, about first hating and fearing them, then how he gets to know and understand them. It's such an amazing story about someone overcoming their prejudices. Definitely a must read.

• Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge: Thank you so much Ashley McGee for giving this book such a good review and making me want to read it! It's a great book for any female, any age, because we all need to know we're lovely and loved sometimes. They also wrote a book for guys, Wild at Heart. I gave it to my cousin Nick for Christmas, and he said it was amazing as well.

• How Starbucks Saved My Life, by Michael Gates Gill: A spoiled, rich, white guy has to learn how to work, and he does it working at Starbucks. This book gives you a new respect for working, no matter the job. And it definitely allowed Starbucks as a company to earn a lot of respect it was lacking as just a 'preppy, overpriced coffee shop'.

• Thirteen Moons, by Charles Frazier: Anyone who loves American historical fiction and the South, this is for you. Frazier also wrote Cold Mountain, but Thirteen Moons outshines it by far. It's definitely a book you read slowly so you can enjoy it. Anyone with Cherokee (or any Native American) backgrounds would definitely be interested. It's based around the time of the Cherokee Removal, but from their perspective rather than the history books.

• Jan Karon's Mitford series: If you are a Southern fiction reader, and have any religious sentiments at all, these books are fantastic. I think there are around ten altogether. My grandmother read these, and I picked them up from her. It follows the life of a town in the North Carolina mountains through the eyes of an Episcopal priest. Again, books to read slowly and savor. She throws some very thought provoking points out there regarding theology, and about people in general.

• Mysteries: I'm a sucker for mysteries, especially on audiobook when I'm driving. Sometimes I sit in my driveway for five extra minutes just because I don't want to leave the story hanging. I like Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia mysteries, Nevada Barr, and Preston and Child. Quite a mix of subject matter there, but I like to jump around.



• Through Painted Deserts, by Dan Miller: Religion and life from the viewpoint of a college guy road trippping across half the US. I love some of the things he thinks out to himself. It's another thought provoker (Can you tell I don't like to be bored by my readings?).

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: I gave this to my piano teacher at my senior concert after 10 years of lessons. Albom is a great writer, and his story of reconnecting with an old teacher/friend/mentor is so touching.

• Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Follet: Amazing historical fiction, amazing religious fiction. But don't read unless you're willing to commit and have a LOT of time on your hands. Like a 26 hour flight to Indonesia or something.


• More historical fiction, The Grail Series by Bernard Cornwell. Lots of action, medieval history, a little romance. They are a bit easier to read than Follet; at least, they don't take quite so long!

     If anyone has any books they just adore, and can't wait for someone else to read so they can share the love, please pass the names on to me! I am always hungry for new reading material - unless it's a series with thirteen humongously long books (I'm still slogging through Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books...Daddy...). Amazon.com knows my address by heart haha!

Melrose - the story

     This is for you, Adam Rowell.

     For all you that are wondering, no, I'm not an uber fan of Melrose Place. Actually, I've never seen that show and can't tell you a single actor from it.
     I am a very literary person and I come from a very literary family - we heart books. I love books more than food, my iPhone, and shopping all put together. My only problem with them is that I run out entirely too fast, they're entirely too expensive, and our library, well, sucks.
     'Melrose' got started by my dad. My life, being stuck in the middle of Wait and all, was frustrating to the max. Nothing was going right, and just when everything was going okay, the bottom would fall out. I get very emotional when I'm mad or frustrated, and Dad was attempting to get me to think about something other than sticking my head in the oven or something. Now, I didn't think it was very funny, but it is rather appropriate.
     The Melrose story is from a book, Epiphany, by Ferrol Sams, who's a southern writer with these great analogies for life. In the book, he tells this story:

     

               An old farmer gets up at dawn, gets dressed, and goes into the kitchen. There's no breakfast, no light on, nobody. He knocks on his housekeeper's door to see what's going on and she tells him 'I'm too sick to cook, can't even get out of bed. I need you to go to town and bring back the doctor for me, quick like.' So the farmer sighs, but goes to change from his overalls to his town clothes.

                Outside, he finds that his old car won't start. He sighs, but manages to get it going by pushing it over and down a little hill. He goes until he has to go through a little creek, and then the car gets stuck. He sighs, but takes his shoes off, rolls his pants up, and manages to get his car out and going again.

                A little way along, he has a flat. He sighs, and folds his coat, and changes the tire to the spare. A mile later, he has another flat. He grips the wheel and thinks for a while. Then he removes that flat and starts rolling it down the road towards town.

                Half a mile from the car, it starts pouring rain so hard he cant see. He's standing in his only suit, stranded on the roadside, soaking wet. He drops the tire, shakes his fist at the sky, and yells 'My God! Why do all these things have to happen to me?'

                 With that, the rain stops, the clouds part, and a deep voice booms down 'I don't know, Melrose; there's something about you that just chaps My tail!'

     You can see why I gave Dad the evil eye over this story. Here I am, wallowing in my misery, and he tells me this? Gee, love you too, huh? I think I might have let out a wail and started to bawl some more, but at that point in my day that was pretty much going to be my reaction to anything.
     So, Melrose or not, here I am. Patience to endure, that's what I'm going for. (No Lord, that was NOT a request...) If you want a great book to read, I do reccommend Ferrol Sams to you, either Epiphany or Run with the Horsemen. They're both full of these little Melrose-like jewels, and are just great reading besides.

Wait, USA

     I think I might be going crazy. I'm starting a blog. I can't keep a journal for more than a day or two. The thought of having details of my private life out for the public eye scares me to death, even if I have the power to edit and delete. I don't have any time, energy, or gray matter to donate to anything extracurricular. So why am I doing this? That's a good question.
     Simplest answer, I need a hobby. One that takes all the strange creative desire from my mind and focuses it on one goal. I'm a strange person. Even when I'm tired and I've worked all day, my mind still can't be quiet. It needs to do something 'pretty'. I used to refinish furniture - how's that for a feminine pastime? But that got messy, and took up a lot of space. I could go play piano, but in a house full of people and activity, that's not always possible. Sometimes all that accomplishes is adding to the noise you know? So when it came down to either interpretive dancing to Yanni or making a blog, here I am.
     More in depth: I'm in the middle of a giant life crossroads. I'm somewhere between school and real life; between jobs; that strange land between single and not; between the person who I thought I was, the person who I want to be, and the person I'm becoming. My problem is...someone's erased all the directions on the signpost. So until someone comes along and guides me out of this frustrating place, I'm here to endure. Proverbs 16:9. I have made up my heart and my mind, but God says 'Wait'.
     Wait is not a place I like to be.

     Wait is a gray and foggy place. There's a rock to sit on, the blank signpost, and a whole lot of wrong directions. The Devil lives right on the outskirts of Wait, and he tries to get you to leave before it's time for you to go. Patience has never been my strong suit when it comes to life, and he sure plays on that a lot. But I am being taught my lesson. Example: the Peppers job. I got a shiny new job at Peppers and thought I had it made. Well I stayed their employee for the duration of orientation, all three hours, after which it became clear to me that I had jumped the gun and tried to blaze a new trail out of Wait before God told me which way to go. On that little trail, I met the Devil and boy I knew it. Luckily, I recognized my error before I had gotten too far, and God was gracious enough to let me back into Wait, instead of sending me on to somewhere harder.
    
What Wait has taught me so far:
     Eve gets a bad rap, because if the Devil was half as convincing with the apple as he is with what he tries on me, I might have slipped up back then too.
     The Alyssa of five years ago, and a year ago, and six months ago who just knew she had life figured out...I'm glad I didn't end up where she was going.
     College is the biggest lie in high school. Why do we try to make 16 and 17 year olds plan their futures? God doesn't automatically show you your major/job/life plan just because you're in college. 80% of kids would do better just working for a few years until God says 'this is what I want you to do'. I was one of those kids.
     If God puts you into a room and you haven't found a window or door yet, I bet you've missed the magazine he gave you to read in the meantime.
     Sometimes when God does provide you with a window, you're just meant to enjoy the view, not jump out and start running.
     Love is the most cheapened emotion of our society.
     I miss elementary school when relationships were easy. Check yes, then you play at recess together.
     The warmest feeling in the world is being called something special by someone special.