Estimated Reading Time
Parking a Blimp
The Miracle of the Book of Mormon
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesWhat is the Book of Mormon . . . ? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-35gtKuWrD4&feature=player_embedded] Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon What do regular people have to say about it . . . ? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWM6tsC6Yj0] Eclectic Emily’s Take . . . ? I have very strong feelings about the Book of Mormon, and I’ve had multiple experiences that have helped me gain a testimony of its truthfulness. Each time I spend time in this book, I come away happier, more at peace, and a better person in general. I’ve found answers to specific and personal questions within it’s pages. It has strengthened my desire to help others and do good in the world. I have felt the spirit testify to me personally that the events it describes are true. The people in this book really lived, worked, loved, cried, and died. Jesus Christ really did appear to them and manifested to them his role as the Savior of the world. I’ve studied the history contained in the Book of Mormon and found it corresponds perfectly with the timeline and events of the Bible. All of these things and more have helped me to know for myself that…
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive) by Brandon Sanderson
Estimated Reading Time 2 Minutes Rating: Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Tor Books (August 31, 2010)/ Hard Cover: 1008 pages / ISBN: 9780765326355 First sentence: Kalak rounded a rocky stone ridge and stumbled to a stop before the body of a dying thunderclast. Favorite Quote From the Book: “The finest defense of character is correct action. Acquaint yourself with virtue, and you can expect proper treatment from those around you.” Summary from Amazon: Widely acclaimed for his work completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time saga, Brandon Sanderson now begins a grand cycle of his own, one every bit as ambitious and immersive. Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter. It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by…
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Estimated Reading Time 2 Minutes Rating: Genre: Historical Fiction Reading Level: Young Adults (There is quite a bit of language and events in this book that are unsuitable for young children.) First sentence: First the colors. Favorite Quote From the Book: “I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race – that rarely do I even simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant…I AM HAUNTED BY HUMANS.” Publisher: Harper Collins (1994), Paperback, 221 pages / ISBN 0064471101 Summary from Amazon: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7B8ioiZz7M] Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. The child arrives having just stolen her first book–although she has not yet learned how to read–and her foster father uses it, The Gravediggers Handbook, to lull…
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis
Estimated Reading Time 2 Minutes Rating: Genre: Children’s Books/Fantasy/Classics First sentence: This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child. Favorite Quote From the Book: “But please, please – won’t you – can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?” Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great front feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself. “My son, my son,” said Aslan. “I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. Publisher: Harper Collins (1994), Paperback, 221 pages / ISBN 0064471101 Summary from Shelfari: You are about to enter one of the most wonderful places in all of literature: C.S.…
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Estimated Reading Time 2 Minutes Rating: Genre: Horror/Thriller, Fantasy, Mystery First sentence: Once upon a time — for that is how all stories should begin — there was a boy who lost his mother. Favorite Quote From the Book: Before she came ill, David’s mother would often tell him that stories were alive. They weren’t alive in the way that people were alive, or even dogs or cats. (…) Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by torch light beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. (…) They lay dormant, hoping for the chance to emerge. Once someone started to read them, they could begin to change. They could take root in the imagination and transform the reader. Stories wanted to be read, David’s mother would whisper. They needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours. They wanted us to give them life. Suggested Audience: Adults (Some of the material in this book is questionable for young readers). Publisher: Washington Square Press (October 16, 2007), Paperback, 480 pages / ISBN 978-0743298902…
Jesus The Christ by James E Talmage
Estimated Reading Time 3 Minutes Rating: Genre: Religious/LDS First sentence: It is a matter of history that, at or near the beginning of what has since come to be known as the Christian era, the Man Jesus, surnamed the Christ, was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Favorite Quote From the Book: The spirit of his demands was that of a practical religion, the only religion of any possible worth – the religion of right living. Publisher: Deseret Book Company (first published 1915), Paperback, 747 pages / ISBN 9780875793269 Summary from Deseret Book: Since it was first published in September 1915, Jesus the Christ has been a classic text on the life and ministry of the Savior. Elder Marion G. Romney has said, “One who gets the understanding, the vision, and the spirit of the resurrected Lord through a careful study of the text Jesus the Christ by Elder James E. Talmage will find that he has greatly increased his moving faith in our glorified Redeemer.” In his preface to the first edition, Elder Talmage wrote: “The author has departed from the course usually followed by writers on the Life of Jesus Christ, which course, as a rule, begins with the…
Tribute To Tim McGraw
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesIt’s incredibly difficult for anyone who loves music as much as I do to pick a favorite song, or even a favorite singer. But Tim Mcgraw is at the top of the list for me. His music resonates in multiple ways and really touches people. The first song I ever fell in love with on the radio was “Just to See You Smile” by Tim McGraw. I was eleven years old. 🙂 He is my favorite country singer and has rightly earned his place as one of the top 5 country singers in the last 25 years. His voice is clear and original and his music is inspiring. Here are some of my personal Tim Favorites: 1. Just To See You Smile 2. Where The Green Grass Grows 3. Live Like You Were Dying 4. When The Stars Go Blue 5. One of These Days 6. All I Want Is A Life 7. My Best Friend 8. A Place In The Sun 9. Don’t Take The Girl 10. It’s Your Love http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/3/12/2360841//05 When the Stars Go Blue.m4p
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesRating: Genre: Young Adult First sentence: When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had just two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. Favorite Quote From the Book: The fight for self-preservation had hardened him against caring. Publisher: Puffin; PLATINUM EDITION edition (April 20, 2006), Paperback, 208 pages / ISBN 978-0142407332 Summary from Amazon: This enduring classic is the story of the Curtis brothers – Daryl, Sodapop, and Ponyboy, who are struggling to keep what’s left of their family together in 1960’s Oklahoma. Their love extends out to their adoptive family – the fellow “greasers” that make up their world. With Johnny Cade, Dallas Winston, and Two-Bit Matthews, the brothers do the best they can in a world that looks down upon them for being “grease” rather than “Soc.” –Reviewed by Jodi Turchin After Thoughts: This has long been a favorite read of mine. Like many who come to love the book, I first read it in high school and have read it several times since. Ponyboy pulls you into his world immediately and you get so caught up in the struggles he faces…
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch (Spook’s Apprentice #1) by Joseph Delaney
Estimated Reading Time 1 MinutesRating: Genre: Fantasy, YA First sentence: When the Spook arrived, the light was already beginning to fail. Favorite Quote From the Book: If you can’t make a mistake, you can’t make anything. Publisher: HarperCollins (September 6, 2005), Hardcover, 368 pages / ISBN 0060766182 Summary from Amazon: Capturing witches Binding boggarts Driving away ghosts For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried–some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Only Thomas Ward is left. He’s the last hope; the last apprentice. Can Thomas succeed? Will he learn the difference between a benign witch and a malevolent one? Does the Spook’s warning against girls with pointy shoes include Alice? And what will happen if Thomas accidentally frees Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the county … ? After Thoughts: I picked this book up yesterday after work. I was wandering the isles of the bookstore just enjoying the atmosphere and the cover caught my eye. Needless to say, it was worth the money I paid for it .…