Category Archives: Literature

Cardboard Castles

The snowflakes flutter wet against my face.

The slush seeps into my boots and dampens my socks.

The car doors leave water crystals on my fingers.

I am somehow infinitely comforted by the fact

that I leave behind a small boy who still remembers how

to make castles out of cardboard boxes.

Because of him I stop to study

the snowflakes on my dark sleeve.

Because of him I remember

to quietly catch one on my tongue.

My classmates would think me strange,

for taking so much delight in such a nuisance.

But they have no one at home

to build them cardboard castles.

5 Star Books from 2019

Friends, Romans, countrymen!!

Welcome to 2020.

I cannot believe it is time for another 5-star-books post! 2019 went so fast.

I read 26 books this year, which is a little shabby compared to the 44 I read in 2018, but not bad considering my year. I blame the decline partly on college, and partly on Moby-Dick which I have been reading for an age and a half of the world outside and still haven’t finished.

All that aside, here’s the books that got 5 stars from me from this year:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
This was a re-read, and somehow even better than I had remembered. (I didn’t think that was possible!) The characters are so raw and deep, and the world-building is truly gorgeous.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
I cannot recommend this enough! A logical and down-to-earth book about the basics of Christianity. It is so deep, and yet also written so simply it’s easy to read and remember. If you want more of my thoughts, see the essay I wrote for school.

Falling Free by Shannan Martin
Okay, so listen: I don’t do much nonfiction (you may have noticed). This is mostly because I don’t particularly enjoy it. However, I have an issue with nonfiction books about God, because something about that way of thinking makes me feel like He is far away and that scares me. (I could be overthinking it, but here we are.) (I am definitely overthinking it. 🙂 ) Falling Free is the first nonfiction book I read–other than the Bible, which I hope is obvious–that made me feel closer to God, which is why I gave this re-read 5 stars, even though I don’t agree with 100% of what the author says. Shannan Martin has a beautiful story about experiencing God’s love and being God’s love as a wife and mother. She is so down-to-earth and compassionate, and her writing is beautiful.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
This might be the find of the year for me. I picked it up on a recommendation, without knowing very much about it, and then it was so lovely. Fun and hilarious and touching and incredibly creative. There is some witchcraft/spells-casting (by the good guys), which is not my favorite when it comes to magic, but it was so sweet that I gave it 5 stars anyway. I will never forget this cast of characters for as long as I live. Also, Sophie is a more outspoken version of me, which was somehow really affirming to see!

The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith
Get your Middle Grade labels out of my face, this story is inspiring! Action-packed and thrilling and scary, but still so sweet. I love this novella so much.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Yes, I read it twice last year. It was that good!

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Try saying that five times fast! Ivan Denisovich is a prisoner in a Soviet work camp. Its an intense story, but really touching and also beautiful in its own way. The novel actually covers a single day of his life in camp, which is a super creative idea for a storyline! Disclaimer here: there is a lot of language. And by “a lot,” I mean a lot. However, I thought it was worth it for the book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone old enough to handle it.

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith
Such an awesome book. Action, adventure, sibling relationships, freaking character development. 5 stars always.

Ember Falls by S.D. Smith
Because one does not simply re-read Book 1 without re-reading the whole series! And because I had to get ready for. . .

Ember Rising by S.D. Smith
Okay, full disclosure: I didn’t have this one written down as read in 2019. But I am positive I read it in 2019, so. . . here it is. I was worried that S.D. Smith wouldn’t be able to keep the magic alive into a third book, but he did. And I already pre-ordered Ember’s End.

The Girl Who Could See by Kara Swanson
Another one that might be the “find of the year” for me. 🙂 This novella is about a girl with an “imaginary” friend from another dimension! It was on my to-read list for a while, and I finally read it because I knew the author would be at Realm Makers. It was not what I expected, but oh so good. The Girl Who Could See is a very intense read that’s also incredibly beautiful. I’m scared to say much more, because I don’t want to give anything away. (Side note, I did meet Kara at RM, and she is such a lovely person!)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Christmas tradition for me! Underneath all the absurdity and creepy stuff, this book has so much depth. If you’ve never read it, please give it a try–it’s short!

Happy New Year, friends. All the best from me.

Without Excuse: Thoughts on C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”

One of my Great Books this year was Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. And, dear hobbits, what a book!! I wanted my entire paper to be:

“Do yourself a favor and go read this book right now.”

But for some reason my English teacher (love you, Mom!) decided we needed two pages (font size 12) about this book? I don’t get it–what was I supposed to say?? But anyway, I did my best, and I’m posting it just in case my one-sentence summary didn’t convince all of you to read Mere Christianity.

~*~

I expected Mere Christianity to be some kind of guidebook, but it is not really that at all.  C.S. Lewis just lays out facts. It is a defense of Christianity, but he was not really arguing with anyone so much as explaining his beliefs.  Mere Christianity is a very honest book; Mr. Lewis trusted the facts to speak for themselves.  He clearly believed mankind to be, as Paul says in Romans 1:20, “without excuse” when it comes to belief in God.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20, NIV)

I always thought that when Paul said “what has been made,” he was referring to nature—meaning that if people truly pay attention to the natural world, they will have to admit it was created by an intelligent designer.  It made sense to me—someone had to create the universe, didn’t they?

But Mr. Lewis argued a different point: when human beings look at what they know about themselves, about humanity, they have to admit there is an objective Right and Wrong.  A Right and Wrong that all of mankind recognizes, but that mankind did not invent.  A moral law that is completely above and beyond humanity. When we argue with someone, he pointed out, we are not simply “fighting like animals,” but we are trying to convince the other person that they have not been right or fair.  Even those who deny the existence of Right and Wrong know when someone wrongs them.

Continue reading Without Excuse: Thoughts on C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”

The Last Archer

I finished rereading The Last Archer by S.D. Smith today. I’d forgotten how deep Jo Shanks was. . . I spent most of the novella feeling bad for him, but also wishing someone would knock some sense into his head. Don’t let the “Middle Grade” label on these books deceive you–the characters are fascinating.

If you haven’t read an S.D. Smith book, get off my blog and go check the library.

5 Star Books from 2018

Last January I started writing down every book I read, including a rating of 1-5 stars. I’ve been meaning to share all of last year’s 5 star books for a while now. . .

Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara – recommendation from Dad // American revolution // historical fiction as it should be // characters felt like real people not impersonal figures // made a world-changing war feel close and personal // engaging & informative

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – one of my old favorites // deserves to be a classic // French revolution // sacrifice // dark but beautiful // predictable but satisfying

Why Pro-Life? by Randy Alcorn – advocating for pro-life // relevant book // promoting love not hatred // hard (graphic) read but helpful for me

The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy – WWII Hungary // deep book from a child’s perspective // people who love trees and storytelling // good adoption representation // GOOD story & gorgeous writing

The Genie Bone by Savannah Grace – unforgettable setting // tight world-building // fun characters // unpublished story // furious that it got rejected 😉

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – another deserving classic // written from a child’s perspective // real life // hard issues // challenging prejudice & assumptions // vivid characters // unforgettable climax

The Wingfeather Sage by Andrew Peterson – two of four books got 5 stars, two books got 4 stars // quirky fantasy // sympathetic characters // positive authority figures (finally!!) // magic // wolf-people! bat-people! dragons! <3

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare – under-appreciated author // early American historical fiction // rivers, ships, springtime, gardening // vivid word pictures // lovable characters // heroine who loves reading (and Shakespeare) // beautiful romance

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – duh // childhood favorites // classics // wonderful characters // courage and strength // talking animals // Aslan <3 // the best fictional “happy ending” ever

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – one of my first favorite books // civil war historical fiction // sisters forever // cute romance // a book about a writer! // characters doing their very best to make good choices

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare – New Testament era historical fiction // love and forgiveness // despair & hope // darkness & light // letting old dreams die // letting new dreams bring healing // another beautiful romance from Ms. Speare // sibling relationships

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – coming back to my fictional home // just as good as I remember // leaving the comfortable hobbit hole for adventures

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – best Christmas story ever // crazy character arc // remembering what’s truly important // party games, hot punch, and ghosts // story that sticks with you

At Last, The King

I started rereading The Fellowship of the Ring for the umpteenth time this week. It’s just as good as I remembered, but nine chapters still sounds like an awfully long time to wait for Aragorn.

While I was spending my Christmas Eve curled up on the couch reading about hobbits, I realized how perfect a book it is for me to read during advent! I’m waiting for my king.

Christmas is the climax. The hero is coming tonight.

Are you paying attention?

He’s sitting in the corner, in muddy boots, with his hood low over his eyes.

Are you watching?

He’s far away from the glamour; a tiny baby, sleeping in a manger.

Are you ready?

“In the dark, in the shadows
“Light has come
“In the quiet, in the dead of night
“Glory, glory sang the angels in the highest
“At last, the king has arrived”

-“At Last, the King” by the Gray Havens

Little Women

I’ve always been a re-reader.  But this summer especially has seemed to be one of old favorites.

Today I finished re-reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for the umpteenth time, and it still made me cry.  I can’t tell you how many times I read this book when I was little, and I distinctly remember crying over you-know-what part the first two times I read it.  But this was my first visit to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy since I’ve actually experienced death, in “real” life.

I swear that books–that the power of stories and the comfort of the written word–are what got me through “the valley of shadow” in one piece.  The first thing I did after my grandpa died was shut myself in my bedroom and read The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien.

This is a huge reason why I believe in reading fiction.

“Made up” characters can sympathize sometimes when “real” ones can’t; and living some things through a novel (or a movie) is better experience than most people seem to give it credit for.

I remember standing in the bathroom washing my hands, right after I finished reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, looking at myself in the mirror, and bursting into giggles from sheer contentedness.  I reasoned that from a strictly bookworm-ish point of view, I had just gotten engaged, and could therefore give myself grace to be a bit giddy.

The characters in my favorite books are family, and I can’t see them as anything else.  They have taught me more than almost any nonfiction, and they make me a stronger, braver, kinder person.  And that is why I believe in reading fiction.

That is why I will not stop talking about books.

Heroes and Leadership

~written winter of 2017~

Aragorn.

Where can I start?  I know I could write forever about my favorite fictional character; Aragorn has been a role model for me for a long time.  While he has been a favorite of mine since I found him in The Fellowship of the Ring, some of my fondest memories with him have come from the second book, The Two Towers; maybe the most poignant of them being his first sight of Gondor in The Lord of the Rings–and his decision to turn away from it to help rescue two little hobbits, simply out of love and loyalty.  But one memory from The Two Towers is a little less pleasant:

“At last Aragorn stood above the great gates, heedless of the darts of the enemy.  As he looked forth he saw the eastern sky grow pale. Then he raised his empty hand, palm outward in token of parley.

“The Orcs yelled and jeered.  ‘Come down! Come down!’ they cried.  ‘If you wish to speak with us, come down!  Bring out your king! We are the fighting Uruk-hai.  We will fetch him from his hole, if he does not come.  Bring out your skulking king!’

“‘The king stays or comes at his own will,’ said Aragorn.

“‘Then what are you doing here?’ they answered.  ‘Why do you look out? Do you wish to see the greatness of our army?  We are the fighting Uruk-hai.’

“‘I looked out to see the dawn,’ said Aragorn.

“‘What of the dawn?’ they jeered.  ‘We are the Uruk-hai: we do not stop the fight for night or day, for fair weather or for storm.  We come to kill, by sun or moon. What of the dawn?’

“‘None knows what the new day shall bring him,’ said Aragorn.  ‘Get you gone, ere it turn to your evil.’

“‘Get down or we will shoot you from the wall,’ they cried.  ‘This is no parley. You have nothing to say.’

“‘I have still this to say,’ answered Aragorn.  ‘No enemy has yet taken the Hornburg. Depart, or not one of you will be spared.  Not one will be left alive to take tidings back to the North. You do not know your peril.’

“So great a power and royalty was revealed in Aragorn, as he stood there alone above the ruined gates before the host of his enemies, that many of the wild men paused, and looked back over their shoulders to the valley, and some looked up doubtfully at the sky.  But the Orcs laughed with loud voices; and a hail of darts and arrows whistled over the wall, as Aragorn leaped down.” (528)

Continue reading Heroes and Leadership