Saturday, June 28, 2014

The Coral Island Review

The Coral IslandThe Coral Island 
By: R. M. Ballantyne
Rating: 4 stars
Ages: 13/14 and up (for action, violence, and somewhat detailed accounts of the savage’s practices of paganism)

Fifteen-year-old Ralph, mischievous young Peterkin, and clever, brave Jack are shipwrecked on a coral island with only a telescope and a broken pocketknife between them. At first the island seems a paradise with its plentiful foods and wealth of natural wonders. But then a party of cannibals arrive, and after that a pirate ship...what is to become of them?


The Coral Island was truly fun. I now understand why it was one of the most well-loved Ballantyne books of its time and even today. The characters were interesting. I fell in love with them immediately. The storyline was fascinating and well-written.

It was a touching story of three boys trapped on a lonely coral island out in the Pacific Ocean, and the many adventures and perilous happenings that befell them. Suffice to say, I liked it!

Characters:

Oh, the characters! They were fantastic. Jack, Peterkin, and Ralph were the perfect trio. They worked well together. Scratch that. They worked perfectly together. 

I have to say that thirteen-year-old, Peterkin Gay was my favorite. He was lively, humorous, incredibly energetic, mischievous, and ever so deserving of his last name, as he was happy most all the time. What he said and the way he acted was incredibly funny, making for many ‘Laugh out loud’ moments. But there was also a deep sincerity and seriousness to him that showed on those rare occasions. :)

This book was written in first-person point-of-view, and Ralph Rover is our very own ‘Story-teller’, or narrator. Ralph was philosophical, studious, and charming. He often trails off into deep patterns of thought, however, which could get a little long and descriptive.

Jack, the brains and brawn, was the leader. Who knows what would have happened to Ralph and Peterkin had Jack not been on that coral island with them! He showed courage and bravery many times throughout the entire book, and was truly sacrificial. Always the one to whom both younger boys looked to when in doubt (actually, when in trouble), he showed wisdom and always had a plan. :)

The Coral Island was a wild and adventurous mix of desert coral islands, dangerous pirates, unmerciful savages, and one crazy journey from England to the Pacific Ocean, intertwined with Godly principles and an ocean-full of humor. 

It espoused principles such as fighting for the right and protecting the innocent, which can be rare in books today.

I will point out, though, that the savages' evil practices didn't necessarily need to be so detailed, so it's less appropriate for young and/or sensitive readers.

It was an enjoyable book that I liked. I recommend it to those who enjoy adventure and historical fiction.

The Magician's Nephew Review


The Magician’s Nephew 
By: C.S. Lewis
Rating:  4.5 stars 
Ages: 10 and up

The Magician’s Nephew gives a whole new outlook on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the movie. If you (like me) watched the original movie before diving headfirst into the novels, than when you read this book you’ll understand me. How did the White Witch come to Narnia? How did she become so powerful? How did Narnia come to be? Read The Magician’s Nephew, and Presto! the above questions will be answered!

I believe that C.S. Lewis wanted The Magician’s Nephew to be the first book in the series. He may have written The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe beforehand, but The Magician’s Nephew is the set-up story, sort of like a prequel. In this book, Narnia comes to be, the Witch arrives, and the first human boy travels to and from worlds and ends up in Narnia! It gives a parallel view to God creating the world, when Aslan creates Narnia, which I love about it. 

I really liked this book. I enjoyed getting to understand more about the beloved world of Narnia and the wicked White Witch that terrorizes and rules over the poor inhabitants with an iron fist. It might be a little slow moving in the beginning few chapters, but, really, once I got into the story, I was riveted! I would stay up late at night reading by lamplight, having such an immensely wonderful time. Hopefully every book-lover understands the joy of staying up late in bed and reading by lamplight (or you could always go Bach style and try moonlight). :) 

Characters:

Digory Kirke - the main character - (or, I should say, he shared the spotlight with his dear friend, Polly Plummer), was adventurous and maybe even a bit too curious for his own good. Nevertheless, all ends well. (Or does it!?) He suffers because of one reckless uncle - the reason he and Polly got tunneled into another world entirely - but grows up to be the dear professor we all know and love. He even ends up sheltering some of the most well-known and well-loved Narnia characters that ever were - but we can all agree that he didn’t hire such a great housekeeper, right? ;) 

Polly Plummer, the neighbor and friend of Digory, is Digory’s uncle Andrew’s ‘guinea pig’ (poor thing!) when he is trying to find out if the magical rings he created actually work (beforehand he had used an actual, living, breathing guinea pig, but he ended up using Polly instead). Getting stuck in another world isn’t every girls’ typical morning outing, so, Digory, being the gallant young boy that he is, must hurry to her rescue. She is a bit irritating at times throughout the book, but she sometimes has a better head on her shoulders than Digory. She almost ended up saving Narnia from a whole lot of trouble - but, frustratingly enough, Digory intervened. 

Uncle Andrew - disturbing, frustrating, and absolutely revolting and horrible. Who in their right mind thrusts a little girl into an unknown world? I guess every book needs that ‘crazy magician’ that Uncle Andrew ends up being. 

Queen Jadis turns out to be someone other than expected - so, watch out. She also tries to overrun, takeover, and rule our own world, and really wound Aslan - but she is unsuccessful at both of those endeavors. 

Overall: 

This book can be slow, but keep on keeping on. It’s one of those books that isn’t filled with blood-pounding adrenaline, or heart-stopping actions scenes, but after having read it, you can look back and nod in understanding at all the going-ons in Narnia. It’s exciting, informative, and just plain fun! 

I would recommend this book to fans of the Narnia movies, and fiction/fantasy readers. A great book!

Quote of the Week


"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy the only logical explanation is I was made for another world." - C.S. Lewis

Friday, June 27, 2014

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I have decided to do a Review series - not only reviewing books, but also movies and T.V. shows alike. Goodness knows it feels as if I have read so many books in the past four years since I started reading novels, but really it is only a little over one hundred. I won't be reviewing all of those books, but I hope to chip a large chunk off the block. I also probably won't be reviewing all of the movies or T.V. shows I have watched, just the prominent ones the I really enjoyed.

My first review is on one of my favorite Hallmark Channel T.V. shows, Signed, Sealed, Delivered. I will also now be answering the question of 'What is a POstable?'.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered 
Rating: 5 stars
Appropriate for: All ages!




This show has superb actors, a wonderful storyline, the most adorable relationships, and fun plot twists. There are elements of mystery, romance, humor, and so much more! It's one of Hallmark's only Original series, written by Touched by an Angel's own Martha Williamson. 

Oliver O'Toole (Eric Mabius), Shane McInerney (Kristen Booth), Rita Haywith (Crystal Lowe), and Norman Dorman (Geoff  Gustafson) make up the team of postal detectives working in the DLO - Dead Letter Office. Every lost, deformed, or unrecognizable letter ends up in the POstables hands. It's their job to get that letter (or CD or treasure box) back to the person who it was intended for, healing hurts, rekindling romances, and bringing lost truths up from the grave along the way. Each episode brings a new adventure - ones you won't ever want to miss out on!

This show makes you laugh and makes you cry. It is the perfect show for the whole family to enjoy, while being swept away in the story. I can't tell you how much I love it. Every episode gives a deeper look into the lives of the postal detective team, and leaves you wanting to watch more. I love all the characters. Signed, Sealed, Delivered is a wonderful show in every way. I recommend it fully. Five star quality. A must-watch!

You can check out the show's Facebook page here, and meet the team, watch previews or full episodes, and tons of other cool stuff here on HallmarkChannel.com!

And what is a POstable? A fan of SSD of course! You can become an official fan, or #POstable, and join the group on Facebook right here!



Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Introduction

Hello, all! My name is Micaiah Keough, and I am a young teenage girl, nondenominational Christian, writer-in-progress, a sister to five, aunt to six, and a daughter and friend of Christ Jesus - I was bought with His blood, and it was never my works, always His unending mercy. Now I can joyfully add 'blogger' to my resume. :)

I love reading. Period. It is such a huge part of my life and I am so pleased to be able to blog about my favorite genres, books, authors, and more.

I adore my family, my dog, hiking with my older brother, going to movies, music, the Victorian era (1837 - 1901), reading, Pride and Prejudice, the Men of Grit series by John J. Horn, Anthem Lights, for KING & COUNTRY, and Colton Dixon. I am also a devout #Heartie, #POstable, and #Lightbulb - all of which I will explain later.

For a while now, I have been enjoying the novels created by Martha Finley, John J. Horn, C.S. Lewis, Alicia Willis, Melanie Dickerson, Vickie McDonough, and others. My favorite fictional genre is Historical Adventure Fiction, mostly. And some of my favorite fictional works are: Brothers at Arms in the Men of Grit series by John J. Horn, Millie's Faithful Heart in the Millie Keith: A Life of Faith series by Martha Finley, The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne, and Remembering the Alamo by Alicia A. Willis.

I plan to be posting a lot of book reviews and writing about books, authors, music, and some miscellaneous subjects in the days and weeks to come which I hope you'll find enjoyable.

And now onto more important things!

Caption for above picture: Me and my adorable niece!