Tuesday 4~Bookish Questions

White washing the fencefrom Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer

 Bookish Questions

Welcome to Tuesday 4 kept up in honor of it's founder Toni Taddeo.
Over 12,000 books, many once required reading in schools and including children's books have been banned. Even Jane Eyre finds itself under scrutiny..


1.Do you think any book or series has helped form your view on things.. life, love, etc?
Many will say the Bible but how about more secular books that you feel have taught or influenced you?

There are so many different devotional/inspirational type books that I have read throughout the years that it is difficult to remember them all.  I will tell you about one that influenced my hubby and me from the beginning of our marriage and on for many years...we would read from the devotional book "Streams in the Desert" every day together.

This is the book we used, and it is quite old. It originally belonged to my father, but he gave it to us when we got married.

The daily devotionals always have a Bible Scripture reading and then a devotional, which may include some appropriate poetry or words from an old hymn.  And even though this was written back in 1925, the messages, although perhaps written in an old fashioned style, were always exactly what we needed for that day...even year after year...it just always seemed like it was written for us and for whatever we were going through at that time.

I am thankful that God helped us start out our journey together with this daily routine. We still read devotional readings and Bible passages together every morning before breakfast. It's the best way to start our day, and it has helped us to get through 57 years of life together.

As far as more secular books...I honestly cannot think of one right now that has had any greater or equal influence on my life than the Bible. Sorry.  No, not sorry.  

John 6:66-69 states it so well:

"66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Okay,  I know a good one that has had a profound influence on my life in a different way!

I received this cookbook as a wedding gift, and it is like the one my mother always used, and as you can see below, it has been well used throughout my 57 years of marriage! Next to the Bible, this cookbook has been my guide through many a day! And it has definitely influenced me and helped me to feed my family all the good stuff!

2. What is your favorite book or book series and why is it a favorite?

I truly enjoyed the Mitford series of books by Jan Karon, but I have given all my copies away, so I can't even show you a picture...well, maybe I could find one online... Okay, here's the series...the one at the bottom is the newest one. I have read them all and wouldn't mind reading them again. Jan Karon has a real gift for developing her characters and making you fall in the love with them. They are well worth the reading.

There are many other books/series that I have enjoyed through the years, but I can't recall them all now. Eugenia Price wrote some wonderful books, mostly about the old south and during the Civil War years or thereabouts. Here is a link to her life's story and more about the books she wrote.  I need to go back and reread some of her books. It's been a long time, and they are all so good. These are just a few of my favorite series of her books:

The Georgia Trilogy

The Florida Trilogy (although there are only 2 books?)

The St. Simons Trilogy

3. If your favorite book or book series was being cast for a TV/Movie series, who would play the main characters?

Of course, how could I forget Anne of Green Gables, and the movie series with Megan Follows as Anne?   She is my favorite actress for Anne Shirley, and this series is based on the books by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  It's been a while since I watched this, and it may be time to do it again!

I've written about Anne of Green Gables in one way or another many times over the years, but this was the original post that I wrote: A Kindred Spirit



4. Are there any books you have read many times?

HERE is a link to a former old Tuesday 4 post about my library.  If you go back and read that post, you will see pictures of many of my collections of old books,  many of which I have read several times.

On a more recent and current note...in my recent post HERE, where I told you about meeting our blogging friend Barbara and her hubby at "The Yearling Restaurant" for lunch, I mentioned the book (and the movie) The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.  I used to have a copy of it, but I couldn't find it, and after our lunch there at the restaurant that bears its same name, I was wishing I could go back and re-read that book again since it has been many years since I have done so.  I had intended to just try to check it out at the library, but in my mind I was thinking I wish I still had a copy of it to put with my other book, "Cross Creek", which is also by the same author, so that I would have a set of those books.  Well, as I was contemplating this, we went to a Fall Festival at The Trading Post at Deep Creek the other evening, and lo! and behold! one of the vendors there at the store had this book sitting there on the shelf waiting for me to buy it! That was a real surprise to see it right there when I was just thinking about it so seriously! LOL. So of course I bought it, and I am reading it now.  And yes, it has already been made into a great movie, starring one of my favorite actors,Gregorgy Peck!

Oh, and regarding THIS book below, that I mentioned reading HERE a couple of weeks ago.  Ahem, ahem...I am glad that I didn't know what it was going to be about before I started reading it, because I may have been thinking it might not be the kind of story that I would really want to read...ahem ahem...if you've read it, you will understand what I mean. However, that being said, first of all, once I started reading the book I was hooked by the characters and their stories from the beginning, but I had NO clue what was going to be taking place by the time they got to the part known as "The Calamity Club", which really wasn't until I was almost 2/3 the way through the book, and by then I was truly intrigued by their stories and knew I had to finish it all the way to the end, regardless of the "subject matter".   And I'm so glad I persevered and made it all the way through to the end, because there are many layers of things going on in this story...and each character was so unique and needy. I would recommend reading the author's notes and research information at the end of the book, but save it for the end.  However, it helped me to more fully understand the subject matter and the stories behind the story. It is actually in some ways fun to read, and in other ways difficult to read, but handled well by the author.  I guess I would say while reading this book, keep looking for the redeeming value of the whole story, because that is what is really important, and overall, I am glad I read it. Just be prepared for some subject matter that can make you squirm a bit at times. Now, whether or not this book will be made into a movie is yet to be seen...and whether or not I would go see it is also something I would have to think about.  

In closing, here's a prayer from the Psalms...

Psalm 17:5-8

5 "Uphold my steps in Your paths,

That my footsteps may not slip.

6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;

Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,

O You who save those who trust in You

From those who rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye;

Hide me under the shadow of Your wings..."

Have a blessed rest of your week.