Things About Me

I shamelessly stole this from my bloggin' friends Andi and Heather!

THINGS I AM WEARING RIGHT NOW
1. Plaid flannel p.j. pants
2. striped oversized shirt
3. unmentionables ;-P

THREE THINGS ON MY DESK
1. cordless phone
2. mug of Maxwell House French Vanilla “coffee”
3. piles of papers with my random notes about books that are threatening to overtake me!

THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE
1. Travel to England & Egypt
2. Learn to speak/write/read Spanish as fluently as I speak/write/read English
3. grow old

THREE GOOD WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY
1. A hugger
2. Loyal
3. Phlegmatic

THREE BAD THINGS ABOUT MY PERSONALITY
1. I have a short temper
2. No patience
3. Very little self-control where junk food is concerned!

THREE PARTS OF MY HERITAGE
1. English
2. German
3. Canadian

THREE THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME
1. I was known as half of my high school’s “cutest couple” in Grade 12
2. I used to like playing in ditches and climbing trees
3. I always wanted to be a ballerina

THREE THINGS I SAY THE MOST
1. Cool!
2. I LOVE books!
3. I’m going to the store to get a Coke!

THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO (that I haven't already been to)
1. Egypt
2. England
3. Italy

THREE NAMES THAT I GO BY
1. Jenn
2. Jennie
3. Nutbar (DH’s name for me)

THREE SCREEN NAMES I HAVE HAD
1. Jenn
2. JAG
3. mizbooks

NAME FOUR THINGS YOU WISH YOU HAD:
1. my MLIS degree (Master of Library & Information Science)
2. My dream house, complete with a beautiful personal library
3. A library job.
4. A baby-grand piano

NAME FOUR SCENTS YOU LOVE:
1. Hugo Boss
2. Vanilla
3. Brazillian Watermelon bubble bath by Yves Rocher Inc.
4. Lise Watier’s “Neige”

NAME FOUR PEOPLE YOU KNOW BEST:
1. My husband
2. My daughter
3. My son
4. My mother

NAME FOUR THINGS YOU'D NEVER WEAR:
1. A thong
2. brown plaid pants
3. at the moment, a midriff-showing top
4. pointy-toed heels

NAME FOUR THINGS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW:
1. I gotta go get ready for church!
2. My son needs to get off the computer desk ‘cause he’s messing up all the papers and interfering with my mouse!
3. I’m hungry
4. I wanna rent Tarzan II

NAME FOUR THINGS YOU DID TODAY:
1. Woke up
2. washed my face
3. checked my Email
4. made my coffee

NAME FOUR THINGS YOU BOUGHT RECENTLY:
1. Summer clothes for kids
2. a graduation gift for my sister
3. groceries
4. scrapbooking papers and stickers

NAME FOUR PEOPLE YOU'D LIKE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH:
1. God
2. My husband.
3. My kids
4. my best friend, Jen

NAME FOUR BANDS/SINGERS/GROUPS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW YOU LIKE:
1. Nickelback
2. 3 Doors Down
3. Great Big Sea
4. Matthew West

BTW....

By the way, can you tell I'm bored today? LOL. This is ... what? ... my 8th posting for today! LOL. La dee da... &-P

Update: Possible New Book Club

Well, I went ahead and asked my new pastor and his wife if they would like a Book Club through the church. Actually, I mentioned it in a letter. I was too nervous to ask them in person! LOL.
Anyhoo. They took a few weeks to respond to me, and I was totally worried that they didn't like my idea. I was wrong! They've both approached me, individually, and told me that they LOVE my idea! :-D As it turns out, the pastor, his wife, and son, are all VERY avid readers! :-D
Now I wait some more. They have to run it by the ministry committee, and I'll have to have a meeting with the pastor's wife to talk over my ideas, etc.
I'm so relieved, though, that they're in favor of this! And, get this! The pastor asked me what kinds of books I'd like to do with the group ... Christian books only, he asked? I told him that I'd tried doing solely Christian books with my last church book group, and it failed miserably due to lack of availability. I mentioned how I'd like to do books that aren't labelled "Christian" but that are still free of hugely offensive content, and that have a good message to them. The pastor nodded his head and said he thought that was a great idea -- that we need to read stuff that ruffles a few feathers and challenges us ... this teaches discernment. Can you say *totally cool pastor*???! :D
I'm so thrilled with these people! :P LOL

Have You Heard?

There is this really great Booklover's website called Bookcrossing! If you have books that you no longer want, or books that you know you'll never read again, check out this site!

When you register a book at Bookcrossing.com, you're given a unique BCID (Bookcrossing ID) for that book. You write this number inside the book's front cover, with a little note saying to please visit Bookcrossing.com. Then you take that "registered" book, and you leave it somewhere -- a park bench, a city bus, a coffee shop -- for someone else to find! All bookcrossers hope that their "wild released" books will be found, journalled at Bookcrossing, read, and then released again to continue their travels. The whole point of Bookcrossing is to "make the whole world a library!" If you ask me, this is a GREAT idea!


Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at Bookcrossing.com!

My 2005 "Determination To Be Read (TBR)" Book List

This is a list of books that I am determined - *ABSOLUTELY* - to read this year, no matter what! Some of these have been on my TBR list forever, some are books I've bought in the last few years that have been sitting on my shelf, calling me to read them. LOL. I will be adding to this list as I think of more...

1. RAINBOW GARDEN by Patricia St. John
2. GOOD-BYE PINK PIG by C. S. Adler
3. WHAT KATY DID by Susan Coolidge
4. SIX MONTHS TO LIVE by Lurlene McDaniel
5. MIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot
6. STEAMBOAT GOTHIC by Frances Parkinson Keyes
7. PASSAGE by Connie Willis
8. FALSE MEMORY by Dean Koontz
9. A BREATH OF FRESH AIR by Amulya Malladi
10. HARRY POTTER & THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE (book 1) by J. K. Rowling
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

2005 Reading Goals

1. Read mostly my OWN books, instead of library books.
2. Read 1 Classic every 2 months (for a total of 6 Classics).
3. Read more "meaty" books (quality) instead of "fluff".
4. Reach the Yahoo Book-a-Week group goal of 52 books.
5. Read 60 books total.
6. Tame my book-buying tendencies.
7. Try to read a good number of the Bookcrossing books I've received in trades and/or relays so that I can pass them on and keep them "traveling"!

*** UPDATE ***
So far, I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped with these goals. :? Only about 1/3 of the 33 books I've read have been from my own personal collection. I've not read ANY Classics. And, the Bookcrossing books are mostly still sitting on my shelves (though, I *have* read and passed on a couple ... and I *did* just finish my first Virtual Christian Book Box!). :)

REVIEW: WALK AWAY THE POUNDS

Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone

Leslie Sansone has created a great indoor fitness-walking program! The moves are easy and uncomplicated, and they won't do damage to already tender joints and muscles. No more excuses! She encourages you to modify the program to what you need. The book is filled with success stories, and explains how, through using this program, a lot of people have found a way to manage their diabetes, or reduce their risk of heart disease, etc.

Since reading this book, I have bought the videos, and have been "walking away the pounds!" I have tried other programs like Tae Bo, and Latin Dance, and they were all so complicated that I easily gave up. Leslie's program is simple, and fun! I enjoy popping in the tapes and walking with these new "friends"!

REVIEW: A SCANDALOUS FREEDOM: The Radical Nature of the Gospel

A Scandalous Freedom by Steve Brown

When I read the review of this book at FaithfulReader.com, I knew I was going to have to read it. I asked my library to order a copy, thinking they wouldn't, but they did! I was thrilled. Mr. Brown writes humorously and in a down-to-earth style. This book was excellent! Most Christians are "so bound...and they can't tell anybody." Christians often fear "stepping out of the box" and going against what's "acceptable" for the greater fear of rejection. Mr. Brown encourages us to take risks, "upset people!", and tell others that we're not perfect...but God loves us anyway! :) An empowering book that's definitely on my wish list to be owned someday!

REVIEW: LOST CHRISTIANITIES: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew

Lost Christianities by Bart D. Ehrman

I was a little bit afraid, on picking this book up, that it would be a New Age style thing, or that it would conflict with my beliefs (you have to be so careful these days!). As it turns out, it only affirmed my beliefs, and I learned a lot! A great book, with LOTS of history. The easy-to-read, semi-humorous nature of the book made it easy to like, even though the content required a bit of "brain power." :-)

Read the review of this book at FaithfulReader.com.

What will it be?

Well, I'm dying to know! My brother's girlfriend is in labor right now, and I'm just itching to know if I'll have a new little niece or nephew!
:-D

Will keep ya posted! ;-P

** UPDATE ** (June 25/05)
Apparently it was a false-start. No baby yet. :-?

Amazement

My library never ceases to amaze me!

The other day I requested a couple of new books for them to purchase (I do this a lot!). :0p Well, these two happened to be blatantly Christian, so I thought, "No way will they order them." Praise the Lord, though, they've said, "Yes!" :-D

The books?

"Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God" by Brennan Manning

and

"A Glimpse of Jesus" by Brennan Manning

Yay!

Music

The other day I got a CD out of the library -- Nick Carter's "Now or Never". And I've fallen in love with the song, "I Got You". Listening to it on my headphones right now!

People tell me, you stay where you belong
But all my life I've tried to prove them wrong
They say I'm looking for, something that can't be found
They say I'm missing out, that my feet don't touch the ground

But there are moments when you can't deny what's true
Just an ordinary day, like when I met you

It's funny how life can take new meaning
You came and changed what I believed in
The world on the outside's tryin' to pull me in
But they can't touch me, 'cause I've got you

I want to thank you for all the things you've done
The most for choosing me to be the one

It's funny how life can take new meaning
You came and changed what I believe in
The world on the outside's tryin' to pull me in
But they can't touch me
'Cause I've got you

And it hits me when I reach for you
That I'm afraid you won't be there
Maybe I am in too deep
But I don't care

... No, they can't touch me, 'cause I've got you.

- copyright "Now or Never" by Nick Carter -

WWW....

What are you reading right now?

Currently trying to decide what I want to read. I've started "A Garden in Paris" by Stephanie Grace Whitson, but it's not holding my attention all that well. I have also started "A Beautiful Place to Die" by Philip R. Craig, but I'm not really caring for the writing style.

What did you just finish reading?

On Sunday I read and finished "The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within" by Erwin Raphael McManus. What a FABULOUS book! Highly recommended! Talks about getting away from watered-down, "domesticated" Christianity, and getting back to the raw, primal faith that Jesus modelled! Fantastic!

What's up next to read?

Well, that depends on what I decide to read right now! LOL. But, on my dresser are several good choices: "Welcome to Higby" by Mark Dunn, "P.S, I Love You" by Cecelia Ahern, "In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart" by Ruth Graham, and "The Language of Sycamores" by Lisa Wingate. They all look very good, so it's gonna be hard to choose! :-?

Free Books Abound!

I received notice, yesterday, that I've been chosen to review a First Look book! (HarperCollins Canada's program). This will be my first Advanced Reader Copy and review! I'm so excited! The book I'll be reviewing is "Three Views of Crystal Water" by Katherine Govier. It looks good!

** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ **

Also, I've got an Advanced Reader Copy of "A Bride Most Begrudging" by Deeanne Gist, coming to me from Bethany House Publishers! I got an Email saying this book was due to be published soon, and it said that you could ask for ARCs. So, I did! And, they've agreed to send me a copy! I'll be posting my review of that book here on my blog! Look for it! :-)

** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ **

And last, but not least, I got a FREE book last week from an author: "Bethesda" by Paul A. Nigro. I'd put it on my wishlist after reading a review of it at Christianbook.com, and apparently this author came across my wishlist somewhere online, and then Emailed me to ask if I'd like a copy! How cool is that?! It's signed and everything! I'm completely thrilled! (I'll post my review of that one here, too!)

I LOVE getting FREE books! Yay!

Library Addict!

Next year I think I'm going to freeze my library cards in a jar in the freezer. Maybe then I'll be able to *force* myself to read my OWN books!

I keep telling myself that I'm going to stay away from the library until I've whittled down my home TBR piles ... but then I visit the library and bring home more books. :-( I just can't seem to stop myself.

And, it's getting more overwhelming! I keep bringing home library books, which makes me put off reading my OWN books, while in the meantime, I am still bringing in new-to-me books (via trades, goodwill shopping, yard sales...), and so my Home TBR piles grow and grow, and I get further and further behind. Ugh!

It was bad enough when I had 700 owned books and had only read about 100 of them. But, now I've got about 920 books, and I've STILL only read 100 of them (or so)! Aiy yi yi!

Top 10 Christian Books

An friend in an online group recently asked a great question: If you had to list the Top 10 Christian books that every Christian should read, what would they be? (They can be fiction, nonfiction, whatever). After thinking that it'd take me a good while to come up with a list, I put down 2 ... then they started streaming through my fingers into the computer! LOL

So, without further ado, here's my list of the top 10 books I think every Christian should read: (and, perhaps non-Christians, too, if you dare! ;-))

1. "Gifted Hands: The Dr. Ben Carson Story" by Dr. Ben Carson
--> truly inspiring story about the power of a mother's love, and the priviledge of reading.

2. "On Every Side" by Karen Kingsbury
--> an emotional tale about the separation of church and state (and much more!)

3. "Dare to Dream" by Florence Littauer
--> makes you realize you can do ANYTHING ... and don't let anyone stand in your way!

4. "A Scandalous Freedom: The Radical Nature of the Gospel" by Steve Brown
--> All I can say for this one is ... WOW! You MUST read this to see for yourself!

5. "Lost Christianities: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew" by Bart D. Ehrman [especially good if you're gonna read Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE]
--> easy history lesson (humorous, too!) about how the books of the Bible came to be included, and about the time period surrounding the compilation of the New Testament.

6. "Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" by James R. Mills
--> helps you see the Crucifixion with new eyes!

7. "Eyes of Elisha" by Brandilyn Collins
--> as her byline says, "Don't forget to breathe!" ... Awesome suspense!

8. "Happily Ever After" by Susan May Warren
--> loved this little love story! About a bookshop owner! :o)

9. "Two From Galilee" by Marjorie Holmes
--> puts Jesus' birth into new perspective. Great Christmastime read!

10. "Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life" by Lauren Winner
--> contrasts Christianity and Judasim ... very insightful memoir! I wish there were more books out there like this one that gave such a detailed look at two contrasting faiths!

** I dare ya to try 'em all! :P **