"Fullness of Joy Literary Celebration Tag"

I have been so very slack with my blogging of late.  We have a bit of a slower week coming up, so I shall endeavour to finish a couple of posts that I have brewing and give you an update on how life is going.

But right now I want to have a shout out to Joy from Fullness of Joy, because..... *drumroll* it's her blog's fourth birthday!!!  To celebrate this exciting occasion, Joy has set up a tag on literature to participate in,

Hence - I love that word! - hence, here are my answers to the literature tag.  Enjoy!  :)


1. What is your favourite "happy" sort of book? (a book that either has joy/happiness as a major theme, or a book that gives you a happy, cozy feeling inside).
Probably anything by Janette Oke or Kim Vogal Sawyer.  Their Christian romances are so beautiful and edifying... and they always turn out so prettily!  :)

2. Did you ever have, in your childhood/youth, a certain book that launched you into a serious love of reading which made it something bigger than a mere hobby in your life?
I honestly don't remember... I have just always loved reading and I don't think there was any one book that initiated that for me.

3. What is one overhyped novel that people nowadays term as a "classic" that you really didn't like as much as everyone else? What made you dislike it so much?
I had to read Heart of Darkness twice for school.  I'm still not sure what it's about.  It is a very dark book and - although the language in it is very beautiful (I'll give it that much) - I found it terribly dry and excruciatingly painful to try and follow any sort of a story line.  I know that a guy goes to Africa, there's an African woman (??) and an English bloke dies.  I think.

4. What makes you motivated to blog, and what is your favourite aspect of the blogging experience throughout the years you've been writing?
I wanted to start a blog for a couple of reasons.  First of all, it seemed really cool to me at the time - I mean, most of my friends had blogs.  XDD  Actually, the main reasons were that I really wanted to encourage the people in my life, and I thought a blog might help me do this.  Also - and this is a funny reason - I am h-o-p-e-l-e-s-s at keeping any sort of diary or journal.  I always start out with good intentions, but alas! despite my very best endeavours, they never come to fruition.  (Can you tell who may have been to a few too many Pirates of Penzance shows??  More on that another time...)  The same goes for my poetry.  I have SO many beautiful notebooks and journals that whenever a poetic thought hits me, I grab what ever notebook/journal/scrap is closest and write it down.  Hence - there it is again! - my journal entries and poetry scribblings are scattered throughout several volumes in absolutely no given order.  I thought that keeping a blog, thus confining everything in one place, might help me remedy this.  It hasn't.
I would have to say that my favourite aspect about blogging is sharing my poetry.  I'm sure any poet/author will be able to relate when I say that one is never quite sure of the finished product.  It's like a parent with a baby - they think their baby is the prettiest, sweetest thing that ever breathed, but outsiders can see things that the well-meaning parents can't, sometimes.  I like my work, but I am ever so grateful when others read it and give me tips for improvement.  In saying that however, it can work the other way too - we writers can be a little too critical of our work, and we need you lovely people to reassure us from time to time.  To those of you who have read my poetry and left me encouraging notes, I thankyou so, so much.  * hugs all around*

5. What are 4 works of literature that you are particularly looking forward to reading in the near future?
Up the top of my list would have to be the book thief.  Yes, I left the capitals out intentionally, as +Clare Farrelly  pointed out to me, they are not used on book or film.

Next would be Anzac Girls by Peter Rees.  I adore the TV series, but have yet to read the book.  Actually, now that I think about it, this probably doesn't class as literature, being non-fiction, but It's a book I'm looking forward to reading all the same.

Then there's Hope was Here by Joan Bauer.  I have already read this book, and I LOVE it.  It's so sweet!!  If you haven't read it, you really need to.

I also want to read Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.  We read this aloud several years ago, but I have not re-read it since despite enjoying it very much the first time.

6. What are some of your favourite non-fiction books?
I think some of my favourite non-fiction books are

• Cheaper by the Dozen   Yes, it's a real book, written by two of the kids in honor of their father who died of a heart attack when his children were all still quite young.  It is an absolute scream, with laughter on every page.
• Angels in the Camp A story of a Christian Jewish girl and her mother in WWII, their journey through concentration camps and how their faith in Jesus brought them through every circumstance, no matter how horrific.
• Call the Midwife  There are three or four chapters in the middle of the book that are worth skipping, but other than that, I really enjoyed this London 1950's book.
• Evidence not Seen  Another WWII book, I reckon this is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read.  It's about a young missionary woman to the Pacific Islands whose husband is killed by the Japanese and she is sent to a concentration camp.  Her experiences with the Japanese are nothing short of terrifying, but the miracles she sees in her camp and again in her 6' prison cell are amazing.
• Unbroken The biography of Louis Zamperini, this book is AMAZING.  Louis was an olympic runner who was one of the few westerners who saw the inside of Nazi Germany.  Upon returning to America, he joined the air force (by accident) and ended up a Japanese POW.  Suffering horror after horror, he experienced the hand of God move in his life in a powerful way.

7.  What are some of your favourite time-periods to read about?
I LOVE World War Two books.  I'm not sure why, but I just love them.  Especially when they are about going to the concentration camps or something along those lines.  I also really enjoy reading pioneer American prairie stories.

8. Is there a special book that influenced you to do something new in your life, or changed you in a profound way?
As quite a young girl, I had some books about India and Amy Charmichael.  Right now, I can't remember which one was the first I collected, but I ended up with several that I loved to bits - literally in some cases! - and read several times.  Amy Charmichael's story inspired a real love in me for India and the beautiful children that live there.  I planned for many years to set up an orphanage in India somewhere and live the rest of my life there.  I no longer have that specific dream, but my deep love for children - particularly Indian and Sri Lankan children - remains and I hope to adopt from the sub-continent one day.

9. Do you have a favourite contemporary fictional novel?
I am about to be your typical teenage fan-girl and say I really enjoy the Hunger Games trilogy.  I find the concept of it fascinating.  And, I must confess, I am a bit of a romantic and I was so pleased when Katniss decided to marry Peeta.  ;)

10. Persuasion is a very autumnal book, and many authors and poets have beautifully described and romanticised that season, which leads to the question: why is autumn so often idealised, and does it hold that certain magic and charm to you? What is your favourite season?
Autumn - in the right locations - is magical.  Blue skies; golden, red and orange leaves on the ground; and just enough chill in the air to require your favourite jumper and maybe a scarf... autumn is beautiful.
I must say though that Autumn is not my favourite season as I am a shocker when it comes to allergies and hay-fever.  I love winter the best.  Summer is simply awful, but cozying up with a book and a cuppa next to the fire is simply wonderful.

11. There are many novels set during the era of the French of Revolution, especially books written in previous generations by authors such as Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, and Baroness Orczy. Which, if any, are your favourites?
I have not read must of this genre, but I really should.  I enjoy Dickens very much, and I started The Scarlet Pimpernel and was really enjoying that too, only I got distracted to reading other things and it got left behind.

12. What excites you the most about literature and its influence in culture, and how it effects the way people think and act?
I think literature - good literature - opens people's minds to good language and English skills.  Some of the most renowned writers learned to write by reading and writing from what they read.  By reading you learn language patterns, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary.

13. Is it ever a struggle to reconcile reading fiction/entertainment with the struggles of reality, and to place the importance of fiction within one's daily Christian life and walk with the Lord?
I sometimes get emotionally entwined with whatever I have been reading/watching.  (Right now, I am still recovering from watching Alice Garvey die on Little House on the Prairie.)  I sometimes have to tell myself to snap out of my mood and get on with life.
I'll admit, there are times when I would rather read my novel than the Bible, and there are times when there are parts in books I would not have read if I had known they were coming.  There are parts of books I wish I could forget.  In all things though, I strive to glorify the Lord.  Prayer helps when I struggle against myself.

14. Would you rather you lived in the countryside of England during WW2, or in the American Prairie during the 1800s, or during the Neoplonic Wars in Europe? (basically favourite historical era/setting to live)
Blah!  You picked my three favourite historical settings!!  I think I would have to say the American Prairie.  I often wish I could have a try travelling out in the middle of nowhere as a new bride to make a life for my family.  I think it would be fun.  :)

15. What is your favourite Jane Austen novel? Do you have a favourite film or tv adaption?
My favourite Jane Austen is Pride and Prejudice closely followed by Emma.  My favourite TV adaptation are definitely the BBC Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, and the 2009 adaptation of Emma.

16. Describe your ideal reading nook! 
My favourite reading nook is my bed.  It's tucked under a shelf just high enough for me to sit under, and it runs longways down along the built in bookshelf on the wall.   Add my quilts and a hot drink - perfect!  :D

17. Is there a particular book that is quite underrated and yet you think is undeservedly so and should be read by everyone? 
I really enjoyed The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemmingway.  Most people I have asked said they pretty much fell asleep while reading it from boredom, but I think Hemmingway was a genius in the way he wrote it.  No, not much happens in the book but I think the genius is that he kept me reading - enthralled by the flow of the language and the thoughts f the man - despite the lack of action.  I think it is a real treasure.

18. Do you have a favourite Parable that the Lord Jesus told? What inspires and encourages you the most about it?

19. Name a book you've reread more than twice. 
Oh deary... I don't think I can narrow that down to just one... I have read the entire "Little House" multiple times.  Also Little Women, the Love Comes Softly series, and many of the Chrstian Heroes Now and Then series have been read and re-read any times.

20. The main character in one of the giveaway books (Until that Distant Day) is a superb cook. How fond are you of cooking/baking and homemaking in general? 
I love it!  I'm probably not as fond of baking as I used to be, but I find a real joy and satisfaction is cooking a meal for the family.  I also enjoy running the house and even in cleaning it for everyone to enjoy.

21. What is a book you're intimidated to read but really want to read in the near future?
Little Dorrit.  Definitely intimidating.  Have you seen the size of it??  It's huge!!  But I still want to read it... :)

22. What 3 novels (or series of novels) would you like to see adapted to film or television?
I would love t see The Witch of Blackbird Pond done as a movie.  Also Hope was Here would be lovely if done well.  I think Ranger's Apprentice would be awesome too, but I happen to know that the first movie of that is already in the works with the auditions occurring sometime in the next few months, I believe.  :)

23. What would be the first thing you would like to say to/ask your favourite author if you had the opportunity of speaking intimately with them for ten minutes?
Probably "Hello!"  XDD

In all seriousness though, I would probably thank Janette Oke for creating beautiful, Christian romances that are entirely wholesome and Christian through and through.  They aren't just sloppy books that mention God once or twice.  Seeing the characters work through their faith, and reading through passages of scripture in the novels is so uplifting.

25. Favourite quote by your favourite author?
I can't pick!  Pass... ;P

26. What is your greatest wish/purpose in picking up your own pen and writing?
To glorify the Lord and encourage, edify, and serve others.

Joy's Blog Birthday Party, Day 2 - Faith and Fantasy

Day two of +Joy C. 's blog birthday party!  This time, the theme was Faith and Fantasy.  Hopefully my answers are intelligible, as I haven't been feeling very well today. :)  Hope you enjoy it!

1.      Taken from a Christian perspective, what are your thoughts and feelings on the fantasy genre in general? Do you hold to any convictions or guidelines on things like magic, sorcery, fantastical elements or allegory in fantasy books?

This is an interesting question.  :)  I don’t read heaps of fantasy, but not because I have issues with it particularly, I just haven’t really ‘done’ it.  Like all things however, there has to be a standard on how far the fantasy goes.  I think one of the problems with how we view fantasy today is that we often confuse fantasy with the spiritual world.  Fantasy, according to the dictionary, is anything imagined that is impossible or extremely unlikely.  I think a lot of Christians steer away from fantasy because of this confusion and the association of fantasy with books like Harry Potter and Twilight.  The difference is that, while vampires and magic spells may seem impossible, they are elements of the spiritual world and are not to be trifled with.  Compare that with a magical wardrobe that allows you to pass into another world, and you have something entirely different.  Imagination is fun!  You can be anyone you want to be, anywhere you want to be.  I think that is the beauty of fantasy novels – they take you places you would never have dreamed of on your own, so long as you set your guard against the dark side of he spiritual world that tries to creep in.

2.      Who are some of your favourite fantasy/fairy-tale authors? (you can name up to three.)

As I said, I haven’t read heaps of fantasy books, so I’ll have to say C. S. Lewis.  Also, while I wouldn’t call the whole series fantasy (the books take a more historical turn) I would say the first Ranger’s Apprentice book The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan is also on my (rather short!) list of favourites.  

3.      Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia books, or watched any of the movies? Which, if so, are your three favourite books?

That would be the first three books, because quite frankly, I have only read the first three books.  And have I ever watched the movies!  I love them!  (Save Prince Caspian – blerg!)

4. How many books by J.R.R. Tolkien have you read and enjoyed so far? Can you choose a favourite book (The Lord of the Rings can be considered one book ;)?

I am afraid I am about to horrify the lovely host of this party and say that I have not read any of Tolkien’s works.  I believe Mum started to read The Hobbit to us older girls some time back, but we never got around to finishing it.

4.      Uhm. . . since, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were friends, I will not risk causing further estrangement to the history of their friendship by pitting them against each other! However, being the mastermind of mischief that I am, I will toss this question your way: which of the two are you most fond of in sense of storytelling, characters, themes and what personally touches/inspires you the most: The Lord of the Rings, or The Chronicles of Narnia?

Since I have not read Tolkien, my cast goes to Lewis.  I really like Edmund in the books and the movies – he is so brave, but gentle too… and I will never forgive Lewis for making Susan bad.

5.      Are there other books and movies of the fantasy/fairy-tale/legend genre that have you read and loved, especially from modern authors? Please tell us a little bit about them.

Not many, I’m afraid.  Oh – I’ve read Redwall, which is about an abbey of peaceable mice that is attacked by Clooney the Scourge and his band of evil (and rather stupid) rats, stoats and weasels.  With loveable characters like Basil Stag Hare, Constance the Badger and Matthias, it is one that our entire family has enjoyed more than once.

6.      Have you read any Christian allegories, such as Pilgrim's Progress, Holy War or Hinds Feet on High Places? 

I have read Pilgrim’s Progress.  I have always enjoyed retellings of things in such a way, that I have to think and define a meaning from it.  I think my favourite passage is a conversation between Christian and Faithful.  I love this passage because of the reminder of how we have grace under hrist, but were only condemned under the law of Moses.

Faithful: But, good brother, hear me out. So soon as the man overtook me, it was but a word and a blow; for down he knocked me, and laid me for dead. But when I was a little come to myself again I asked him wherefore he served me so. He said because of my secret inclining to Adam the First. And with that he struck me another deadly blow on the breast, and beat me down backward; so I lay at his foot as dead as before. So when I came to myself again I cried him mercy: but he said, I know not how to show mercy; and with that he knocked me down again. He had doubtless made an end of me, but that one came by and bid him forbear.

Christian: Who was that that bid him forbear?

Faithful: I did not know him at first: but as he went by, I perceived the holes in his hands and in his side: Then I concluded that he was our Lord. So I went up the hill.

Christian: That man that overtook you was Moses. He spareth none; neither knoweth he how to shew mercy to those that transgress the law.

Faithful: I know it very well; it was not the first time that he has met with me. ‘Twas he that came to me when I dwelt securely at home, and that told me he would burn my house over my head if I stayed there.

7.      Share some of your most well-loved heroines from fantasy tales in literature (books, movies, modern and classics), and why you love them so much! What virtues/traits in them would you like to have yourself?

I like Lucy in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.  She is so cute (I have a soft spot for all children, but especially cute ones just melt my heart entirely!  ;) )  I also love her loyalty and bravery.

8.      Which land would you rather go, dwell in, or be a part of: Middle-Earth, or Narnia? (or maybe some other fantasy-land, you share!)

Narnia, every time!  :D

9.      What kind of fantasy are you most fond of? Fantastical and "fairy-tale-ish" like Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella, or rather the mythological, high-epic-fantasies such as Tolkien's?

As I haven’t read too much of the high-epi-fantasies, and I do really love fairy tales, I’ll say fairy tales.

10. Which is your favourite fairy-tale? 

I don’t know – I love heaps of them!  I am rather fond of Beauty and the Beast, probably because I played keyboard for the town’s musical of BATB a few years back.

11. List some of your most well-loved movie adaptions of fantasy tales (this does not include Disney fairy-tale animations). 

Were you afraid we were all going to say Frozen?  ;)   I think the best movie adaption of a fairy tale is Ever After starring Drew Barrymore. 

12. Who are your favourite heroes from fantasy books? (you may list as many as you like!) Tell us a little bit about why you love them so much :).

Aslan from LWW (I think that reason is obvious!)

13. Saddest moment in any fantasy tale you've either watched or read?

It’s really sad in LWW movie when Peter, Susan and Lucy think that Edmund has died on the battle field.  :(

14. How did you get into The Lord of the Rings and Middle-Earth books/movies? (If you're not into LOTR than you can talk about how you got into Narnia instead).

Not having read LOTR… :)

Mum read LWW to me and my next sister when I was about 10 or 11, I think.  I remember huddling together under the covers in delicious terror when the witch killed Aslan.  We both made big wall posters based on the book which were pretty cool.

15. Give a list (preferably with pictures!) of your favourite fantasy/medieval costumes/armour/gowns and from which movie/character they come from.

Ohhh!  I am a sucker for pretty clothes!  :D  Here goes!

I love the simplicity of the medieval thing that Susan has happening.

How gorgeous is this dress from Voyage of the Dawn Treader?!!

And this dress of Susan's is really pretty too.

16. Which fantasy/fairy-tale has inspired and influenced you the most?

You must be tired of this title now, but The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe remains one of the most powerful allegories to the mercy and sacrifice of Christ ever written.  To think that Christ, all powerful and holy, would step in for our sin just as Aslan did for Edmund, is absolutely mind blowing.

17. Favourite character in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings/Hobbit universe? Favourite character in The Chronicles of Narnia? (Choose 1 each)

I can’t choose between Edmund or Susan!

18. Favourite friendship in a fantasy book/movie/series?

Lucy and Mr. Tumnus’s friendship is so cute.  :D

19. Which villain of fantasy strikes the most dread and loathing in you? Which foe strikes the most pity?

The witch is the most dreadful character ever.  I don't waste much sympathy on foes.  ;)

20. Share some of your most well-loved quotes from fantasy books/movies :). 

My favourite quotes from the LWW movie are from the beavers.  Oh, and this one from the kids.

Mr. Beaver: Come this way – I know Mr. Tumnus!

Susan: Wait!  What are we doing?

Peter: He said he knew the faun.

Susan: He’s a beaver – he shouldn’t be saying anything!

Voyage of the Dawn Treader has some hilarious moments as well, like this one:

Mother says I have an acute consitution, due to my intelligence.

21. Favourite battle in a fantasy book or movie?

The battle in Eragon is pretty epic.

22. Tell us which romance couple you love best in any of the fantasy stories you know about.

I don’t know!!!  I can’t stand the romance between Susan and Caspian, mainly because she couldn’t stay in Narnia and had to leave, but still insisted on saying good bye to him ‘lover-style’.  ;) 

23. Elves or dwarves? Gondor or Rohan? Aragorn or King Tirian?

Dwarves are kinda cute creatures, but elves are weird.  :P

24. Who is your favourite side-kick (secondary character) in books/movies of this genre? (you are welcome to choose more than one ;). 

Tricky.  For some strange reason I have always had a soft spot for the fox in LWW.  I know he doesn’t have a big part – at all – but there’s just something about him.  Does he count???  ;)

25. List five fantasy novels you are especially looking forward and eager to read in the near future.

I am planning to read Eragon, and maybe the Hobbit in the nearish future.  I am also hoping to read “Alice in Wonderland” to Rosie one day soon.

26. Which fantasy work struck you with the most sense and depth of faith and the author's perception of morality, ethics, the distinction and battle between good and evil, and the Christian walk? Can you share a little bit about it?

Pilgrim’s Progress is one that you can see straight through the writing to the author’s heart.  John Bunyan was so passionate about his personal walk with Christ and encouraging others in the faith that it just spills over in his book.

27. What was the first fantasy novel you ever read and how did it strike you?

I don’t remember really… it was probably, LWW or Alice in Wonderland.

28. What would inspire you to pick up a work of fantasy literature or watch a fantasy film? What do you believe are both the benefits, negatives and overall effects of enjoying this genre?

I don’t really get ‘inspired’ to read something as such – I tend to graze through my books, meandering here and there, starting this, finishing that.  If I picked up a fantasy book, I would probably read a few chapters, and if it didn’t grab me, I would probably put it down again (call me fickle, but that’s that.  :P).  As for films, I generally watch whatever Dad’s watching, so if that’s fantasy, I get a taste of it, and more often than not, depending on characters and plot, I’ll quite enjoy it.  :)  I think I outlined the pros and cons of fantasy in question one.