Quote of the Week

"And what," continued Auberly, "would become of the fine arts if all men delighted in dirt, dust, dullness, and desks? Depend upon it, John, that our tastes and tendencies are not the result of accident; they were given to us for a purpose. I hold to it as an axiom that when a man or a boy has a strong and decided bias of partiality for any particular work that he knows something about, he has really a certain amount of capacity for that work beyond the average of men, and is led thereto by a higher power than that of man...but when a man or boy has put his hand to any style of work, and thereafter loves it and longs after it, I hold that that is the work for which he was destined, and for which he is best suited." 

- R.M. Ballantyne, Fighting the Flames

Bookshelf Tag

Kelsey Bryant did a post recently on her blog - Kelsey's Notebook. It was a bookshelf tag (it originated on Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens), and I thought it looked like fun! She tagged anyone to do it who wanted to, so I thought I'd give it a go. And what avid reader doesn't love to talk about their books?  

There aren't really any rules to go along with this tag, and I think anyone can do it who wants to - so...if you think it's a fun idea, go ahead and do the tag on your blog! You're officially nominated. ;)

Without further adieu: 

Describe your bookshelf (or wherever it is you keep your books-it doesn't actually have to be a shelf!) and where you got it from:

The bookshelf!

The particular bookshelf I will be talking about in this post I share with my sister. My books occupy the top shelf, and she takes the bottom two (though, the stacked books you see on top of all those Garfields are mine! And I have other shelves where I keep the rest my collection!). It is a very light wood, and is actually a very nice size! It's not too large, and it fits perfectly between our bunk-bed and the wall (you will recognize the bookshelf from a post I did last year, where I toured my room!). I normally keep some of my favorites on it, but otherwise I keep books there that are too tall to fit in my other shelves! :) My mom previously used it, and I think she got it from a garage sale, but I could be mistaken!

Do you have any special or different way of organizing your books?

I organize my books partially by size, series, and author. Normally, if I have more than one book by the same author, they'll be grouped together.

What's the thickest (most amount of pages) book on your shelf?

The thickest book would be my old Bible, which reaches a page count of 1,713. The next largest book would be my seven-in-one, hardback Narnia. Since all seven books in the series are grouped together in one, it comes to 778 pages, which includes an essay from C.S. Lewis on writing children's books!

What's the thinnest (least amount of pages) book on your shelf?

Okay, okay...wait a moment while I check... ;) Titanic Crossing by Barbara Williams, at 167 pages.

Is there a book you received as a birthday gift?

I'm positive I received a few of the A Life of Faith novels for one of my birthdays!

What's the smallest (height and width wise) book on your shelf?

Eric Liddell by Catherine Swift.

What's the biggest (height and width wise) book on your shelf? 

The seven-book Chronicles of Narnia definitely taps out as the widest, but Ted Dekker's Outlaw is slightly taller.

Most expensive book?

Haha!! This question... XD You'll all be surprised to hear that my paperback copy of Violet's Bumpy Ride in the A Life of Faith series cost about $63 dollars! It was ridiculously high-priced, but I really, really wanted to read it and see what happened, so I split the cost with my mom! (Then, come to find out, a little while later there was a hardback copy of the same book for $12. *sighs*)

The last book you read on your shelf?

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. But I'm currently reading The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis.

Of all the books on your shelf, which was the first you read?

I actually know the answer to this! It was my God's Word translation Bible, but the first novel was Violet's Bold Mission in the ALOF series, and I read it when I was ten or eleven years old. (I got my Bible when I was ten.)

Do you have more than one copy of a book?

Not that I personally own, but my sister and I both got a copy of Outlaw by Ted Dekker (and her copy is also on this bookshelf). We went to see him speak live in 2013, so we both bought a copy and got it signed afterwards! (He is really nice, and literally hugs everyone...) ;)

Do you have the complete series of any book series?

The series!

I am so happy/proud to say 'Yes'! I have the whole Elsie Dinsmore, Violet Travilla, Millie Keith, and Men of Grit series on my shelf! 

What's the newest addition to your shelf?

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom is one, and then there's Sense and Sensibility, A Chance to Die, and End of the Spear.

What book has been on your shelf FOREVER? 

Most of the books on the shelf (or, a substantial amount of them), have been there since I started using the shelf: all three series from A Life of Faith, my old Bible, Outlaw, Narnia, Titanic Crossing, and the Men of Grit series. All the other books I've gotten more recently. :)

What's the most recently published book on your shelf?

Rising to the Challenge by Alicia Willis.

The oldest book on your shelf (as in, the actual copy is old)?

I actually don't know... The oldest is my old Bible, I guess. It's not that old, though...I just don't have any old copies of books! I think it would be cool to, though!

A book you won?

None, currently. 

A book you'd hate to let out of your sight (aka a book you never let someone borrow)?

Haha! I don't think I would let anyone borrow any of the books of the Men of Grit series by John J. Horn... ;) But most especially Secret of the Lost Settlement (it's signed!!!). 

Most beat-up book?

Most of my books stay in pretty good condition, however, the Bible I have on my shelf is...falling apart at the binding. :P

Most pristine book?

I think I'd have to say Live Original by Sadie Robertson! 

A book from your childhood?

The A Life of Faith series in general. A few of the books I just read for the first time last year, but I think I'll always connect that series to my childhood. Those were the first chapter books I started reading. They're the reason I got so interested in the Victorian era - and actually reading itself. 

A book that's not actually your book?

Hope in Front of Me by Danny Gokey - my mom bought it, but I read it first! You'll find me taking pens that aren't mine, but not books, normally... ;) Quiet in His Presence is also not mine. It's Mom's, but she's lending it me. 

A book with a special/different cover (e.g. leather bound, soft fuzzy cover etc.)?

Not really! My copy of The Hiding Place is a nice hardback with gold lettering and part of the cover is a cloth-like material, though.

A book that is your favorite color?

No - but both the Violet and Millie series have nice colors.

Book that's been on your shelf the longest that you STILL haven't read?

I normally only keep books I have read on this shelf, but I haven't read Live Original or The Silver Chair yet (I don't plan on reading The Silver Chair, though - at least not anytime soon!).

Any signed books?

Yes, actually! *happy grin* Secret of the Lost Settlement: The Duty of Warriors, signed by John Horn; Outlaw, signed by Ted Dekker; and both In Search of Adventure and Rising to the Challenge, signed by Alicia Willis. 

Wow! That was a ton of fun. Again, anybody can do it! But, I officially tag Mikayla H. at The Bubblegum Ballerina, Jessica Joy at (Almost) Perfectly Pink, and Julia Ryan from Writing for His Glory!

(Note: I'm finally back! I've been on vacation! I might post an update of sorts later, talking about the trip my family and I went on, and maybe sharing some pictures!)