An Ode to Goodreads

Have you heard about Goodreads?

If you have, sorry for this little moment of explanation for the non-Goodreaders. Goodreads is a site where you can keep track of the books you have read, create to-read book lists, follow authors, review books and read reviews, etc. If you haven’t checked it out, you should now.

So why do a post on Goodreads? Goodreads has changed my book loving life.

Flashback to 2009, here sits Moreland having finished a wonderful book, but angry because again she has read a series out of order.

Not again!

Blast it!! I read book three instead of book one because this series listed their book in alphabetical order on the inside of the cover instead of numerically! Why does this keep happening to me? Why must I constantly be troubled by reading books out of order and getting confused as to what book comes next! If only there was a way to find this out, a place I could go to…

Ugh, if only…

[Narrator voiceover] And as she sat in her room contemplating this, little did she know that her whole book loving life was about to change, in an instant with a click of the mouse.

So all dramatics aside, I don’t know about you but this has been a serious book problem with me growing up. I don’t know why publishers have to make it so ever-loving hard for us. The publisher decides to list them alphabetically, I end up reading book three or four first.

Not again!

They decide to do it by most recent publishing, same thing. It is so stinking annoying.

Why?

I don’t remember exactly how I came upon Goodreads, I think I was looking for a book and clicked on the link and came upon it, (I’m not 100% sure as this happened almost ten years ago), but whatever brought me there has made the last 10 book loving years fantastic!

With Goodreads I haven’t read a series out of order and actually get to understand the characters, the plot line, and the direction that the author intended to go.

With Goodreads I can track authors and see all they have written and get updates on what is coming. There are books my favorite authors have written that I had no clue about until I went on this site.

Since then I’ve been able to keep track of what I have read as well. And that is so helpful. I know it sounds weird, but everyday I’m at work-I work at a library-I run into people complaining about these same issues. What order to read it, what else has been written, did I read this already?

We have people “brand” books, make some kind of note or symbol to show they’ve read it and I tell them all about Goodreads.

Maybe you’ve finished a book or series and don’t know what to read next? I have parents ask me that all the time, and the answer? Goodreads. For every book in the upper right hand corner there is a suggestion of 18 others that people who have read that have liked. AMAAZING!

You never have to feel this way with Goodreads!

Plus the reading challenge? I started in 2011, and love creating a book reading goal and reaching it!! And I love how it lists out how many books you’ve read that year, the longest, shortest, most read by others, least, etc.

Plus, you can enter cool giveaways for awesome books. One of my favorites I won in a giveaway, Theft of Swords: Book One and Two of the Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan.

You can join groups, connect with other readers, make friends, etc.

So I was not paid to do this, or receiving any compensation at all. I just was feeling nostalgic and grateful and wanted to just let Goodreads know how I so very much appreciate all the work they have done.

For more book loving posts, go to Literary Tea Parties

For more Goodreads, go to A Quest of Swords and Wizards: The Crown Conspiracy

Book Club Picks: Desperate Pastors’ Wives

So as you all know I started a book club, because you know me and books…

Every month we read a book and I do a little post on the book we read and discussed. What can I say, I just love books.

There is no theme, other than with each month, a different member gets to pick a book, whichever one they want. This time was the book member chose:

Desperate Pastors’ Wives (Secrets from Lulu’s Cafe #1) by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a pastor’s kid, so I thought this would be very interesting in how it shows things they go through.

Hmm…?

There are four pastor’s wives from different domination. They met at a pastor’s wives breakfast put together by a very mean, annoying, awful Pastor Wife-Kitty. Kitty is one of those Queen Bee type girls who just loves to make fun of others, she also comes from a rich church and likes to use that as well to be mean to the others. She may be married to a pastor-but it is clear that she is not walking with God.

Each pastor’s wife is dealing with their own issues, the only thing keeping them together is their meeting in the next town at Lulu’s Cafe where they can dish, be themselves, and enjoy time away from prying eyes.

Mimi Plaisance is married to Pastor Mark Plaisance, a Methodist, and has a large crew of kids. She is in charge of practically everything and going going going all day long. Everyone relies on her to do everything, even help out at other churches, and she barely has a second to breathe. She is seen as the perfect baker, mother, Sunday School Teacher, and Pastor’s wife.

She tries to get the head of PTA but loses to another woman, Gloria, who stinks at everything. She has never lost in her life, she’s a winner at everything she tries-excels at everything! If they would rather have Gloria, what does that say about how they view Mimi? Maybe they don’t see her so well after all.

She also has the trouble that her husband’s paycheck as their home is controlled by the church Deans, so anytime they want to replace something or need money, they have to beg the Deans for money. These deans have been saying no, even though Mimi has been having to deal with a finicky oven that runs to hot or cold and makes everything undercooked unless she is watching and calibrating it perfectly. It all comes to a head when Mimi just breaks down from the load she is carrying, her food overcooks when she is supposed to be making a dinner for the deans. She gives up, serves them the food and walks out. She’s done with trying to be perfect-even bringing store bought fried chicken to the big picnic.

Will she figure out that she needs to just calm down and focus on God-instead of filling her life?

Felicia Lopez-Morrison is a PR executive. She and her husband, David, lived in LA when he decided to become a pastor. After he finished his pastor’s degree they moved to Colorado, taking over the First Baptist Church, where Felicia was lucky to find a job to transfer to. She’s not the typical pastor wife and gets a lot of flack for it.

In their small town of Red River, they expect her to stay home and take care of her child, oversee all the programs, wear what they consider “church clothes”, etc. No one ever likes her Mexican food and throw it out at potlucks, they don’t like that she gets her hair and nails done, goes to spas, etc. Her son doesn’t get as much time as she’d like and now he is biting kids at daycare! Everyone looks at her like it is her fault, as if she is bad mother. To make things worse, a woman from church and her husband have been working closely together.

She knows the woman is after her man, but is her husband having an affair or is he clueless? Will Felicia conform to how people think she should be or will she figure out there is only one person who’s opinion is important.

Lisa Barton has been having a hard time with her husband. Growing up a preacher’s kid she has always wanted to be a pastor’s wife and thought she knew everything about it. But she was not prepared for the fact that Pastor Joel Barton would care more about the church than her and their family. He’s always gone every second of the day doing something for God and he for the kids. And worse-he has no time for her, he’s so distant…the church are more his wife than Lisa. It has only been three years here and she feels unloved and unlovely, how much longer will it go on like this?

She even gets a makeover and does their room romantic, but he leaves her for a phone call from the church. He later misses and forgets to bring a cake to his child’s birthday party. Lisa had reached the end of her rope, will she finally talk it out with her husband and God?

Jennifer Shores has been wanting a baby forever. She feels as if it is the only thing missing from her marriage. Jennifer was in an abusive relationship and when she left ended up helping out at the woman’s shelter that helped her. She later was hired to be the secretary for Pastor Sam Shores, a widower who lost his wife in a drunk driving accident. After a while they started dating and got married. Jennifer has always felt insecure but even more taking the place of that perfect pastor’s wife. She wishes to have a child but nothing-miscarrige or her period comes every time.

Noooo!

It feels like God isn’t listening to her at all-why is he doing this! Jennifer walks out of church one day and decides she is never going back-heading to birdwatching hiking, and then finding herself at the Catholic church confessing her feelings to a priest. Will she find her way or give up on God and her husband?

Also the group notices perfect Kitty doing some vey strange stuff, what is going on with her? What is she hiding?

I thought it was really good and dealt with a lot of real life issues-the strain of being in the fishbowl and the expectations people may put on you. How the church can forget that you have a life and family. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had people call all hours of the day and night, just drop by unannounced, expect that the pastor can drop everything last minute, think they own us and our lives because we are their pastor’s family, etc. Sometimes they forget we are people too and have a life outside of church.

I think the one I related to the most was Lisa. I’ve felt that way plenty in my life as it is hard to have the perfect balance as the family need attention, but the church sometimes seems to get more of it.

I also loved how each one had to focus on their relationship with God, and use each other to encourage and pray, to find their way. A great read.

For more book club books, go to Book Club Picks: Wuthering Heights

For more bible verses, go to Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers: The Widow of Larkspur Inn

Better Not Be Disrespectin’

So there are somethings that are just inexcusable:

Things that are absolutely horrible:

But the absolute worse, the penultimate-

You have been judged. Negotiation’s over. Sentence is death.

Just kidding…Or am I?

Hmmm….

I guess you will just have to treat my books right.

For more book posts, go to I Don’t Want a Lot for Christmas, There is Just One Thing I Need

30 Day Challenge: Literature Loves

Yes it is that time of the year, our new tradition of a 30 Day Challenge. As I am a book lover and just can’t get enough books, I decided this year we will cover that love.

As any book lover knows, it is difficult to choose a favorite book.

So this will either fit the category of the book challenge, or will be a book I love. I’m hoping to meld both, but I know that won’t happen for every one of them.  I also ran into a few issues finding 30, so I had to get a tad creative.

I am also going to skip the Jane Austen novels as I always talk about them on this blog. I’m going to try and do books I haven’t mentioned already, but no promises on that.

I can’t help it.

Now every time I try to do something in December, it tends to fail. I just get toooo busy.

But this year I am really going to try.

So here we go!

30 Day Challenge:

Day 1) A is for Apocalyptical: Choose a book with an Apocalyptic theme

Day 2) B is for Best: Choose a Best-Selling novel

Day 3) C is for Childhood: Choose a book you used to read over and over again when you were a Child.

Day 4) D is for Diary: Choose a novel or memoir in Diary form

Day 5) E is for Elephant: Choose a book with a Elephant on the cover

Day 6) F is for Free: Choose a book you got for Free

Day 7) G is for Ghost: Choose a Ghost story

Day 8) H is for Happily Ever After: Choose a novel that is a retelling of a fairy tale

Day 9) I is for Island: Choose a book that takes place on an Island

Day 10) J is for Jane Austen: Choose a book based on, a sequel to, or a retelling of one of Jane Austen’s works

Day 11) K is for Killer: Choose a book with a murderer

Day 12) L is for List: Choose a book from your to-read List

Day 13) M is for Merry Christmas: Since this 30 Day Challenge is being done in December, let’s pick a favorite book that captures the merry Christmas spirit.

Day 14) N is for Name: Choose a book with a character that shares your first or last Name

Day 15) O is for Ocean: Choose a book that takes place on or in the Ocean

Day 16) P is for Politics: Choose a book that is Political

Day 17) Q is for Quest: Choose a book in which the characters go on a Quest

Day 18) R is for Remake: Choose a book that is a Retelling of a classic

Day 19) S is for Short Stories: Choose a collection of Short Stories

Day 20) T is for Translated: Choose a book that was Translated from one language to English

Day 21): U is for Unhappy: Choose a book with an Unhappy ending

Day 22) V is for Vanished: Choose a book with a missing person

Day 23) W is for Weather: Choose a book where the Weather plays a major role

Day 24) X is for X: Choose a book whose author has an X in their name

Day 25) Y is for Young: Choose a junior or Young adult book

Day 26) Z is for Zombie: Choose a Zombie retelling of a classic novel

Day 27) One, Two, Buckle My Shoe: Shoes symbolize wealth. Choose a novel that involves wealth or fashion

Day 28) Three, Four, Shut the Door: Doors symbolize new beginnings. Choose a novel where a character has to start over

Day 29) Five, Six, Pick Up Sticks: Sticks symbolize power, strength, or judicial decisions. Choose a book that revolves around a powerful ruler or ruling.

Day 30) Seven, Eight, Lay Them Straight: Straight means upright. Choose a book with a moral or strong moral character

Additional one to keep the Symmetry

Day 31) Nine, Ten, A Big Fat Hen: Hens symbolize motherhood. Choose a book that revolves around a family or strong motherly character.

Have Card will Travel

For more 30 Day challenges check out 30 Day Challenge: All About Me! and 30 Day Challenge: Disney Edition

For more book loving posts, go to Sadly I’m a Stalker

A Book Only a Reader Could Write

So I wanted to publish this post yesterday, but my computer and I weren’t on the best speaking terms. We have since resolved that issue.

And the computer has since then come along to my way of thinking. So sorry if I’m a day behind, but better late than never!

Some books you read and you just know that there was no way this book could ever exist unless the author grew up as a huge fan of reading.

Such as Matilda by Roald Dahl. Only someone who grew up reading could create a character that gave a voice to all us bibliophiles out there.

Or Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Only someone who truly loved to read could create the most dismal future, a time when books are outlawed and destroyed. The book is full of glimpses into what might actually happen, unless we take the time to read and value the thoughts and creations found between the pages.

Well The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende, is definitely one of those books.

The book was first published in 1979 and then translated into English in 1983. As this is it anniversary, thankfully pointed out by Google, I thought it deserved no less than a post by me.

The story was such a big part of my childhood, with book and film.

So the book begins with young Bastian Balthazar Bux; a shy, awkward, introvert:

Who has been grieving over the loss of his mother and feels disconnected from his father.

Aw.

He doesn’t really have any friends and is bullied at school. The one thing that Bastian does have is his books.

With their help he is able to escape reality:

And here is reason number one why this book is awesome and proof, author Ende must have been a reader; he just understands us so well. I mean even today I still like to escape my reality with a good book:

Anyways, so Bastian is being chased by bullies when he runs into a bookstore owned by Carl Conrad Coreander. While hiding out, he spots the book The Neverending Story.

Bastian just has to have the book, but the ornery shop owner doesn’t seem interested in the idea of selling, and such a book that would be far too expensive. So Bastian does something he has never done before, he steals it.

He runs up to school, deciding to hide away in the attic, reading the story and being thrust into the world of Fantastica (Fantasia in the film).

Fantastica is falling apart. The dark nothing is destroying it, piece by piece until it will fade away and there will be nothing left. Only one thing can save them; the childlike empress has chosen Atreyu, a native of the plains, to search throughout Fantastica to discover what can be done. As Bastian reads, he becomes more and more involved with the characters. So wrapped up in the book he stays throughout all his periods, in the cold, all the while starving.

Or class. Or lunch. Or anything!

But that’s silly. They aren’t real people.

But yet, the characters do seem real. And it almost seems as if they know he exists and is part of the journey with them.

When Atreyu is traveling he hears what the salvation of Fantastica is:

Born of the Word, the children of man,

Or humans, as they’re sometimes called,

Have had the gift of giving names

Ever since the worlds began,

In every age it’s they who gave

The Childlike Empress life,

For wondrous new names have the power to save.

But now for many and many a day,

No human has visited Fantastica,

For they no longer know the way.

They have forgotten how real we are,

They don’t believe in us anymore.

Oh, if only one child of man would come,

Oh, then at last the thing would be done.”

But where to find such a human child?

Atreyu continues on his journeys, getting help from Falkor, the luck dragon.

One of the best parts of the book, at least I think so, is when Atreyu faces Gmork, the werewolf. Gmork has become an agent of the Nothing, trying to destroy Fantastica and along with it the human world. Without Fantastica, the world is filled with lies instead of truth, despair instead of hope, destruction instead of creation; pretty much containing nothing.

I love this part as it shows why stories and books are so important. They help us create, they give us hope, dreams, ideas, etc. We need stories, we need hope, we need it as much as we need life.

And we need to start reading at a young age; so we can have the foundations to fight against all the darkness we will face as we grew older.

So Atreyu returns to the Empress, defeated. He has no way to stop the nothing. He has failed.

But the empress is not upset at all. In fact, she says that Atreyu has fulfilled his mission. He has brought a human child here through all his adventures. And she is talking about Bastian!

The reader has been called into the story? And not just called, but the hero! How cool is that! And how awesome if that could happen. Can you just imagine if the characters started talking to you in the middle of your favorite story?

So cool, I want it to be true.

This is my favorite part of the book, the second half isn’t as strong (in my opinion) as the first half. But still one great book.

The movie was just as amazing. Now they did make changes, but I thought it kept the soul and heart of the book. I used to watch it over and over.

Even now I cannot think or say the words “Neverending Story” without singing them like in the film’s song.

I recently showed the film to my niece and realized I am not only like Bastian, but Coreander. Yes, I have the soul of an old curmudgeon who doesn’t like the youth’s fascination with technology rather than books.

The rest of the story is just as beautiful, fascinating, adventurous, and powerful. And don’t forget the end of the film when the childlike Empress is talking right to you.  Shivers run up and down my spine, it is so good.

I mean I feel like she is talking right to me!

The other movies I didn’t really enjoy, but that first one was a true winner.

So there you have it. One amazing book that I am glad existed to become a part of my childhood, in both print and on the screen.

And you can bet your boots I will most definitely be checking out the film Sunday when they rerelease it in theaters. Don’t worry childlike Empress, Fantastic/Fantasia will always exist as long as I am alive!

For more on The Neverending Story, go to The Neverending Story

For more anniversary posts, go to Here’s to Another Year

For more book-filled posts, go to A World of Teas

For more Roald Dahl, go to We Shall Rule the World!

For more Ray Bradbury, go to Baby Jane Austen

For more Ernest Hemingway, go to Fiction or Reality? I Choose Fiction

For more Markus Zusak, go to Portrait of a Fangirl

For more Richard Marek, go to Crazy Book Lady