Treasuring Emma

Treasuring Emma

By Kathleen Fuller
Published by Thomas Nelson

Book Description

Emma has put everyone else first in her life. Now at nearly 25, has she missed her chance at marriage? Emma was Adam's first love but circumstances made them both choose different paths in life. Emma's heart breaks all over again when Adam returns to the Amish community of Middlefield, Ohio, years later. For the past ten years, Emma has been a care-giver. First for her mother who unsuccessfully battled breast cancer, and now for her grandmother who gets more frail with each passing year. Emma has always put the needs of others above her own. With more time on her hands, she determines to focus on herself and her dream of opening a rescue shelter for stray animals in the community. With Adam's return come feelings Emma's long buried. They're older and life hasn't turned out the way they thought it would. Adam's feelings for Emma are stronger than ever, but will he be able to convince her to put the past aside and give their love a chance?

This is one of the books that I got from Booksneeze.com. I don't really have much to say about it, but I have to post about it in order to get another book. 

 

Treasuring Emma was predictable for me - possibly because I've read Amish books so much, that they get to be a little predictable after a while. I've read this kind of storyline before, and the storyline and characters just didn't seem to have much depth. For me this book was boring. 

A Vision of Lucy

Recently I became a member of BookSneeze.com. BookSneeze is a website aimed purposefully at bloggers. They have a selection of books (both printed and e-book) that they will change every so often. If you see a book you think you'd like to read, then you just request it, and they will send it to you free of charge - the only thing they ask of you, is that you do a review on your blog once you've read the book. Oh, and you get to keep the book, too. :)

So, when I became a member, I saw an e-book (they send e-books instantaneously to your email) in the "Available Books" section that I thought would be interesting. It was called, A Vision of Lucy. Now I've finished it, so now I'm going to do a review on it. :)

A Vision of Lucy

Synopsis (from BookSneeze.com):
Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. If she can earn money making photographs, then maybe her father will see that what she does is worthy, more than just a distraction. And her deepest hope is that he’ll see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, a painter. But trouble follows Lucy on every photo shoot: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.

When Lucy meets David Wolf, a quiet, rustic man who lives on the outskirts of town, she thinks she can catch the attention of the town with his photograph. She doesn't count on her feelings stirring whenever she's near him.

Two things happen next that forever change the course of her life: Lucy meets someone who sees her as no one else has—as the compassionate, creative young woman that God made in His image. And Lucy helps David uncover a secret that forces him to change his perspective on an event that left him deeply-scarred.

God’s arms are around this unlikely couple as they discover the truth about long-held assumptions and the importance of forgiveness.

My thoughts are... varied. I kind of like this book and kind of don't. Maybe I should just go through and list the pros and cons. :)

Pros:

• It's Christian fiction.
• It's interesting.
• You do end up liking some of the characters.

Cons:

• The story could have been improved - there weren't very many descriptive words used in the story, so I couldn't always picture what someone looked like, what the town looked like, etc.
• Sometimes the story seemed a bit too rushed, so it could have been improved by taking a little more time on a scene.
• The books seemed short and lacking in places (sometimes because of the above mentioned things).
• The romance comes in too early and too fast. At least for my taste.
• And one more thing... the story seemed like something I would write. I'm not good at writing books. I tend to leave story short and lacking, rushed and... well, you get the picture. I'm much better at writing reviews and short stories that can be rushed (cause they're short). :)
  

So, to sum up...

Would I buy this book? Probably not.
Would I read it again? Maybe. If I was really, really bored.
Would I recommend it? Maybe... if it's your cup of tea.
What ages would I recommend this for? 14 and up. But it all depends on the person reading it... I'd say no younger than 14 for sure, though.

Ratings (Scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest):
Plot: ***
Characters:**
Keeps Interest:***

Overall: *** 

"Follow Me, Boys!"

I recently watched a movie with my family that we'd never seen before - and now I have a new favorite movie called...

Follow Me, Boys! (1966)

 Rating: 4 3/4 star


Synopsis: Lemuel Siddons is part of a traveling band, although he's always dreamed of being a lawyer. But he's thinking he's done with traveling when the band's bus stops at the small town of Hickory. He wants to "put down roots", he says. He finds a job as a clerk at the general store in town. Trying to fit in - and impress a certain Miss Vida Downey - he volunteers to start up a Boy Scouts troop and be the troop leader. Not only that but it also keeps the town's boys busy. As the years progress with Lem getting married to Vida, being a scoutmaster, helping a troubled boy, and the dream of becoming a lawyer gets postponed, Lem realizes - his life has been fulfilled by giving his time and effort to his friends in Hickory.

Starring: Fred MacMurray, Kurt Russell, Vera Miles

This story is jam packed with good rich values. Not to mention the character driven plot. It is a glimpse of the good ol' days when values were upheld and instilled in the children. I just love this movie. Yes, the theme song gets stuck in your head, but oh well. You just have to watch it to know what I mean.

 I must say though, that besides Lem Siddons, the next most driving character in the story would have to be Whitey. Kurt Russell does an outstanding job playing Whitey. He is a sympathetic character, in my eyes. He acts tough but he really is sweet. He's also very loyal once you get him on your side. Once again - watch the movie then you'll understand.

 Lem Siddons is played by Fred MacMurray. His character is complex and simple at the same time. He's a man you could look up to. His childhood background is what makes him be able to relate to Whitey so well. Him and Whitey are both proof that a kid with a rough life can turn out to be one of the most trustworthy, devoted, hardworking, honorable person you'd ever meet.

And yes, even though this movie has a serious point to it, it also has good clean humor. Like when some soldiers are getting trained nearby and playing in the war games - with hilarious results when Lem and his troop get tangled in the midst of these "games".

The above picture was the only one I could find from the movie that has Vida in it.

 The movie uses 2 hours to go from 1930 to the 1950's and shows Lem getting a new troop every so often as the boys grow up.

 And surprise, surprise... Duane Chase (aka Kurt von Trapp) from Sound of Music is in this film as one of the original Boy Scout troop. Apparently Duane played in only three films - "Sound of Music", "Follow Me, Boys!", and a tv series called "The Big Valley" (which I've never heard of or seen). 

 Well, I hope you enjoyed this review! :) Oh, and have any of you seen this?

Inception

Rating: 4 1/2 star

Synopsis: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception. (I wasn't able to think up a very good synopsis, so the credit for this goes to IMDB.com.)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy



I'll start out by stating that I really liked this. I want to watch it again. Although I will say that there are a few times that there is bad language, which I was kinda disappointed about. That's the only reason why it's rated 4 1/2 star. Other than that it's great.

Some of the characters in the dream.

Leonardo DiCaprio played Cobb, the main character. Cobb was a complex character, to say the least. He has a mysterious history and is his own worst enemy.  He was a well thought up character. 

Cillian Murphy plays Robert Fischer and he's... not really a bad guy and not really a good guy. He's a a good guy in life and a bad guy in the dream. He's also the target of Inception.

The story was very mind bending and thought provoking. And it had cool cinematography. As seen in the picture below. It's a fight scene while floating around this hall - kind of like being in space, with no gravity.

I also liked this story because the characters had one chance to do Inception, knew how to do it, but didn't have super powers or anything. They were normal people who had been trained, but sometimes made mistakes even with that training. They were willing to go to the ultimate and fly by the seat of their pants if the plan went wrong. Whoever thought this story up was brilliant.

And to close this post out I'll give you two of my favorite quotes from the movie:

.......................................................................................................

Arthur is in a gunfight with a simple gun, while in a dream. Then Eames shows up, and this is what he says...


Eames: "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling."

And then he pulls out a grenade launcher. Yep, dreams are pretty sweet. :)

.......................................................................................................

The second one is a very interesting observation.

Cobb: "Well dreams, they feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up that we realize how things are actually strange. Let me ask you a question, you never really remember the beginning of a dream do you? You always wind up right in the middle of what's going on."

We had stopped the movie at this point and thought about it. And he was right - we never remember how we got there in the dream, we just hop in midstream. Kinda interesting, huh?

My Opinion on Robin, Alice, and Amy

No, I do not know Robin, Alice or Amy. They aren't friends, they aren't relatives, and aren't real (except maybe Robin... although I think he was called something else in history). But I have watched their movies. :) So here is my reviews on their stories.

 Recently I have seen some movies that I really like... and I don't post about movies unless I like them. If you haven't seen any of these movies, trust me, there are no plot spoilers (at least not major ones). And if you have seen any of these, feel free to drop me a note to tell me what you think. :) I love comments. :)

Little Dorrit (2009)
My Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis: Amy Dorrit is the daughter of a debtor who has been in debtors prison since before she was born. It is all she has ever known. But her luck is changing for good... by the hands of the Dorrit's friend Aurthur Clennam. And then there is the mysterious Rigaud - who is he and what does he want? How will Mr. Dorrit handle this change of fortune and who will Amy choose of the two men who are vying for her affections?
Starring: Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Andy Serkis, and Tom Courtenay

Okay first off, I really, really liked this movie. I would own it and probably watch it once a year or so. It is a ton easier to watch than read Dicken's, even for an avid reader like myself. The characters are complex and capture your attention. The sets were so interesting and help set the mood of each scene very well. I found myself getting lost in Amy's world - savoring it in fact. But at the same time, I would not recommend this for any one younger than 14 years. The story can have intense parts in it that are just not suitable for younger children.

When I borrowed this TV series from a friend, she told me that Aurthur Clennam was a really sweet character. I did not know what she meant until I watched Little Dorrit. That friend was right... and I was surprised at how "Mr.Darcy" could be so charming. Although he seemed to be too so sweet and easily pushed around by Flora, that I was slightly disappointed by him at times. But he's still a favorite character. :)

And just for your reference... the picture below is Flora. In all her childish, annoying glory. The picture and my two word description of her should tell you what she's like - "...in those long gone days gone by."

Then there is Miss Amy Dorrit. She is pretty, hardworking, caring, honest, and meek (but strong in her own way). She is someone who I would love to be like. Not necessarily in her situation, but in her attitude. She fits in with the poorest people and fits in with the high society people effortlessly.

Now for Robin's story...

 Robin Hood 2010
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Synopsis: In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen, Oscar Isaac, and Danny Huston.


This has got to be one of the best renditions of Robin Hood I've ever seen (besides the version with Errol Flynn)! The story is realistic, the screenplay couldn't be better, the cast is superb, and everything else just adds to the story's richness.


One of the things I really liked was Russell Crowe cast as Robin Hood (Robin Longstride in this movie)... he nailed the character. Russell's Robin Hood is the just right age - not too young and inexperienced and not to old to fight.

Cate Blanchett is an excellent Marian Loxley. Some reviews have said that this Marian is a feminist in this version Robin Hood, but such is not the case. Her situation is simple - Marian's husband died at war, her father-in-law is blind and old, and there is no male relatives to run the manor. So Marian has no choice but to step up to keep things going... otherwise she'd lose her home. That whole thing is fixed though, when Robin shows up. So I hope that shows Marian's not the feminist that some people consider this rendition to be.

Marian and Robin match so perfectly, too.

And to top the cake off, Matthew Macfadyen plays none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham. Who wants Marian for his own. Seeing Matthew as Mr. Darcy, then as Mr. Arthur Clennam, and then as the Sheriff, is quite an interesting range of characters! But I like to see actors be able to play bad guys and good guys, so I appreciate that kind of acting.

Now let's go from Nottingham to Wonderland...

Alice in Wonderland 2010
Rating: 5 star
Synopsis: When Alice, now a young 19 year old receives a proposal of marriage from a snobby man, she runs off into the gardens to escape and think about the proposal. Alice falls down a rabbit hole and finds Wonderland. Except this time down the hole it's just a little different. She has a destiny - that includes a Jaberwocky and the evil Red Queen. Will Alice succeed in fufilling her destiny? And will the White Queen regain her rightful place as high queen?
Starring: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Alan Rickman.


This was interestingly different from your traditional Alice in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter has a sorrowful background, Alice has a proposal of marriage, and the Red Queen has a sister. This movie I would have to say is not for little kids. It's about the same intensity as the Narnia movies. Only a little stranger. And there were so many interesting pictures from this movie that I had to post them. :)

Mia Wasikowska played a very sickly, nervous, somewhat crazy in the head, but charming Alice very, very well. Only this Alice seems to get stronger (mentally and physically) as the story goes on. And her dress in the picture below is one of my favorites. Mia version of Alice captured my attention, but I think she was almost upstaged by...

...this strange fellow below. Which is none other than the Mad Hatter... played by Johnny Depp. They couldn't have picked a better guy for the job of playing Hatter. He made the Mad Hatter very mad. But the interesting thing was... you really liked this character. His story is so sad, you can't help but like him and hate the Red Queen all the more. I feel so sorry for Hatter... but I will leave you to find that out.

 

Since we just mentioned the Red Queen we might as well take a look at that large headed, ugly, mean, despicable lady. Oops, did I say that? Wouldn't want to lose my head. *in a whisper* But it's the truth all the same. Helena Bonham Carter really must not want even the people on the Red Queen's side to like their queen! She really made the Red Queen as bad of a queen as could be imagined... possibly something akin to "Bloody Mary".

Anne Hathaway plays a very pale, never hurt a fly White Queen. And she always is holding her hands up near shoulders. Kind of like a ballerina. I actually don't like the White Queen all the time. And the dark lipstick is kind of tacky. But if I was in Wonderland, I'd rather have the White Queen rule over me than the Red Queen.

 

Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee were interesting in their part in the story. And not quite as annoying as I expected. These two were actually played by one guy, not twins.

The Cheshire Cat is one of my favorite characters in Alice inWonderland. The CG on him is pretty neat. And he has the most curious turquoise eyes.  He was voiced well by Stephen Fry. Definitely a thumbs up on the Cat.

The ending was very well done, and although people may say Alice fighting looks feminist, it was the only way the Jaberwocky and Red Queen could be defeated. All in all this was one well done movie with the detail, plot, acting, and the depth of both scenery and characters.

The next movie review will have to be about a kid's movie... and I know just the one. My younger siblings just love it and we've seen it several times due to the fact that we own it. It's one of their favorites.

The Young Victoria

It has been a while since I saw "The Young Victoria", but I've been wanting to do a review on it (and it just kept slipping my mind).  I don't do movie reviews unless we really liked it.  And since it's on my Christmas wish list, it's obvious that I liked it (or maybe I should say loved it).  But anyway, here's my review.

The Young Victoria

My rating: *****

Synopsis (by me): The Young Victoria is about Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt) when she becomes queen of England .  It also tells of her marriage to Prince Albert (Rupert Friend).   And her troubles and tribulations in dealing with conniving government officials - which ends up affecting her marriage, as well.  Being a queen is not always as easy as you think...

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I LOVE this movie, and for several reasons. One being, I just do! I like seeing movies about true stories about real people (who may be famous). I ADORE the dresses (see below for pictures)!! I appreciate the fact that the people who made the movie, kept it clean (no inappropriate scenes, which are sadly all too common in today's movies. The cast was perfect - I already admired Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their devotion to one another, and this just made me admire them all the more. I would say this should be for 14 and up because the subject material would be over a smaller child's head and Albert and Victoria have a quarrel. Please consult your parents about all movies and honor their decision about a movie!!

Now, for some pictures (I tried to find  pictures with the dresses that I liked :)).

Victoria's coronation ceromony

Victoria's ball dress is my favorite dress, besides her wedding dress - which I couldn't find a picture of :(

If you don't know who's who, the lady in the far back is just an attendant,

the lady directly behind Victoria is her mother *grimace* (she is sooo conniving!), the guy on her left is Lord something-or-other who tries to manipulate Victoria to make the government how he wants it (and he's in cahoots with her mother), and the lady on the far right... I don't remember who or what she is. I like the over skirt on Victoria's dress.

Aren't Albert and Victoria such a cute couple? The color of Victoria's dress is really pretty, too. :)  

I can't remember if this is her wedding dress or not, but I really like it!!

Have any of you seen this movie? What did you think of it?

Book Reviews... Lot's of 'em!!

Recently, I finished reading something like... 3 or 4 books! Which included "The Princess Adelina", that I won from Jessica at Safirewriter not too long ago. All synopsis' are from Amazon (the links go to those books at Amazon; just click on each title) because I'm not very good at writing synopsis' without giving away too much of the plot.  My ratings are judged off of how clean the book is (language, etc.), plot, characters, and appeal. The ages that I recommend these books for are my own opinion only, and I base it off of subject material and reading difficulty.

The Princess Adelina
by Julie Sutter

My rating: *****

Synopsis (from Amazon): From eighth-century Germany comes the stirring tale of Princess Adelina, a virtuous young woman determined to fulfill God's call on her life. The daughter of an Irish missionary to the German people, Adelina's world is turned upside-down when a young pagan ruler, Hedan of Thuringia, falls in love with her and commands that she become his bride. As a wedding gift, Hedan promises Adelina that he will allow Christians within Thuringia to worship and evangelize freely, spreading the Gospel among his people. But Hedan's mother, Geila, hates both Adelina and Christianity, stopping at nothing to subvert her daughter-in-law and stamp out the fledgling German Culdee church.

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I really, really enjoyed this book. I can't say how much. It is a good, clean, book that makes you seethe when you hear how gentle, innocent Adelina is being treated, and rejoice when... well, I'll leave you to read the book to find out, but this story show how God can work in the most stubborn and evil person's life. I would recommend this book for 12 and up because of some difficult words to pronounce - or it could be a read aloud for the whole family.

Now before I leave this book to go to the next, I want to point out something interesting... the picture on the front of The Princess Adelina  looked strangely familiar to me.  It looked a lot like Baron Bomburst's castle from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  When I researched it, I found out it was the exact same castle!!  It's a castle in Germany...

It's the Neuschwanstein Castle -
in Hohenschwangau, Schwangau, Bavaria, Germany to be exact.  Quite a mouthful!! :)










Song of the Silent Harp
by BJ Hoff

My rating:*****

Synopsis (from Amazon): In Ireland, Nora Kavanagh has lost her husband and young daughter, and now lives in fear of losing her home. She and her young son, Daniel, have only one hope for survival, the poet/patriot—and love of Nora’s youth--Morgan Fitzgerald. But his dangerous involvement with a band of Irish rebels keeps him in constant danger and puts the possibility of a future for him and those he loves in jeopardy.

Michael Burke, a close childhood friend of both Nora and Morgan, left his homeland for America and is now a New York City policeman. A widower with a difficult, rebellious son, he still remembers Nora with love and fondness and wants nothing more than to help her escape the cataclysmic famine and build a new life…with him.

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This book had some sad parts to it that brought me close to tears (and books rarely do that to me) because the characters were so... real.  I've never experienced a famine, and never been in these situations or had these peoples troubles and personalities, but the way the characters and story is written, it just seems to draw you into the story. For me I felt as though I had been there - could see everything in my mind's eye.  And I'm one of those people who loves Ireland and Scotland, and dreams of someday visiting those places.  I would recommend this book for the young adult level and up... because of material - it's not a kid's book, obviously.

I got started on this series when I read the last book an aunt of mine let me borrow, so I know the ending to the series, but nonetheless, I'm interested (maybe captivated is closer to the truth) in the series anyway. So here's my review of the last book.

Dawn of the Golden Promise
by BJ Hoff

My rating:*****

Synopsis (from Amazon): Morgan Fitzgerald, is confined to a wheelchair because of an assailant's bullet to his spine. Now he must confront the ultimate challenge to his faith a choice that could cost him everything the woman he loves, his family, even his life.

His wife Finola, faces her own moment of truth the hidden memories and dark secrets of her past that could well destroy her - unless she can find the strength to face them.

Michael Burke, is a New York City cop caught in the conflict between his faith and his obsession with bringing Patrick Walsh to justice.

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I won't say too much, so as to let out plot, but once again this books characters were so real and I wanted to help the characters with their struggles and decisions and bring the "bad guys" to justice. And this one did make me cry at the end (it includes Morgan and his life changing choice). And again I recommend this for young adult and up for the same reasons.

I am just reading the second book, "Heart of the Lonely Exile", (which I love so far) so I will be reviewing that soon, as well.

The Missing
by Beverly Lewis

My rating: ****

Synopsis (from Amazon): Twenty-one-year-old Grace Byler longs to find her missing mother and to uncover the secret that drove her to leave them three weeks before. Grace suspects the reason has to do with her father and his reserved, uncommunicative ways. This conviction led Grace to break off her betrothal to her quiet, staid beau, and she is now resigned to remain single. But when the young Amishman she thought was courting her best friend takes a sudden interest in her, Grace is befuddled and wonders if he can be trusted. "Englisher" Heather Lang has come to Amish country to relive fond memories of her mother and to contemplate a grave medical prognosis of her own. While in Bird-in-Hand, Heather meets Grace Byler and the two young women strike up a fast friendship, amazed by how well they click. Following the only clue they have, Grace and Heather travel together in hopes of finding Grace's mother and bringing her home. Will they find what they're looking for...or something much more?

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I liked this book, but it went a little too slowly for my taste and it didn't keep my interest nearly as well as Beverly's other books, thus the 4 star rating. The book was good - hope I didn't give the impression it was bad - the plot just needed to speed up.  I would recommend this book for young adult and up. 

The Telling
by Beverly Lewis

My rating: *****

Synopsis (from Amazon): Lewis picks up the story of Grace and Heather as they travel to Ohio to find Lettie and convince her to return to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. Lettie ponders both long-ago choices and her more recent decision to leave home and family behind on a quest to find her long-lost daughter. Meanwhile, Heather hopes a sojourn at the alternative-healing Wellness Center will help her deal with her debilitating illness, while Judah searches his soul for reasons Lettie may have left him and vows to do better, should she return.

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This book was much better than second book (see The Missing, above).  There was more happening and the plot seems to move faster.  I really, really liked this book.  This is the last book of the series, and Lewis wraps it up quite nicely.  I love the ending, especially.  And I would say this is a young adult and up book.