Showing posts with label Kelsey Bryant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kelsey Bryant. Show all posts

Sunday, May 17, 2015

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!)

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The Blogs I Follow

(Via Pinterest) This is so pretty!
I recently did a post (You can click here to see it: LG Award post) where I was asked the question, "How many blogs do you follow?" Well, quite a few. When I wrote the LG Award post I found myself thinking I could do another post just listing the blogs I follow! I hope you can look into and even subscribe to some of these great blogs!


And there you have it - all the blogs I follow! :)

-Micaiah-

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Family Reunion Review


Family Reunion 
By: Kelsey Bryant
Rating: 3 stars
Ages: 10 and up

Every word, every moment matters...

Welcome to the Austin Family Reunion! 14-year-old Marielle Austin's parents and grandparents are hosting family for a week in the Texas hill country, and Marielle's five girl cousins are staying at her house. Emma and Caroline are her best friends - like her, they're homeschooled and passionate about the Lord, the past, and books. Abby, Kailey, and Reanna are from Wisconsin and just as far away in background and interests - what's hot in the world now is what matters to them. 

Grandpa Will Austin has devised a series of projects for the six of them to complete. There's a shed to fix up, a missionary to interview, and a trail of clues to solve, leading to a treasure. If they finish by the end of the week and work together with love and understanding, they'll earn a prize beyond anything they could imagine! But difficulties surface right away. Bad attitudes and work ethics seem all Abby, Kailey, and Reanna can offer. Marielle, Emma, and Caroline are at a loss - what can they do to push the projects through? And more importantly, what can they do about their cousins, who won't welcome their friendship? How can they show love when it's hard even to feel it? Will the mysterious prize slip away, and with it any chance of relationship?

Family Reunion by Kelsey Bryant was a fun, clean read. It was light, but it also had some deeper points that teach lessons. It had a simple storyline, but a strong underlying message - forgiveness, loving others, and seeing what we have in common with those around us. This book showed how real life is! The three girls from Texas - Marielle, Emma, and Caroline - have to overcome their differences with their three girl cousins from Wisconsin - Abby, Kailey, and Reanna. And, boy, what a ride it is! 

Characters:

Marielle Austin isn't your typical teenage girl. She's a very relatable character to someone like me. She's homeschooled, a strong Christian, and enjoys history, books, classical music, and spending time in nature - all things I enjoy. I was actually instantly surprised with how relatable she was. Her sentiments toward and struggle with Abby, Kailey, and Reanna was so realistic. It would have been extremely hard in her situation. I can honestly say that all the characters were very realistic. 

Caroline Austin  - I could relate to Caroline more than I could all the others. Maybe it's because we're the same age - thirteen. She was dynamic and bold. Her reactions and feelings portrayed throughout the book were so understandable (with all the other characters as well). 

Emma Austin - sweet, sensitive to those around her, and sensible! I would say she was the wisest and most sensible girl in the book.  

Kailey Austin was, frustratingly enough, probably a good portrayal of a typical fifteen-year-old girl. I have to say I was annoyed with her throughout most of the book. I wish she would've stopped saying 'like' all the time! She did get better in the end, though.

Reanna Austin was by far my favorite of the Wisconsin girl cousins. She actually had a good head on her shoulders. She was shy, quiet, sweet, loved music, and was friendly to Marielle. It would be hard not to like her.

Abigail "Abby" Austin, the elder sister of Kailey, was a good character. I say that honestly. She was realistic. Her character made for some obstacles, but she was so much better in the end!

Overall:

I was so happy with the end when Reanna finally came around! That was one of my favorite parts. It was so refreshing after all of the trouble everyone was having with each other when she admitted she had been wrong and accepted Marielle, Emma, and Caroline's apology. I was also really happy with Abby in the end. She was so much better than she was when the book first started! I enjoyed the references to classical and Celtic music, and also the references to Narnia and C.S. Lewis - I love The Chronicles of Narnia!

Two things I want to say, though, is that, for a book of its genre, with no action, it was a bit long. And, also, I really felt all the while that the girls should have talked to their grandfather about the hard time they were having and that he would have completely understood - but their not wanting to upset their chances at getting the prize and their wanting to deal with it themselves and be responsible was understandable.

I enjoyed and liked Family Reunion. It was a very godly book! I would recommend it to any Christian girl looking for a read with real-to-life characters and a strong Christian message. It teaches some good lessons that we need to hear.