Feeling stupid and understanding the need to improve

Boy am I feeling like the fool at the moment.  I made a mountain out of a mole hill out what really I realized was a very small issue and should really be a small issue.  Part of the reason is that I feel very insecure with my book blogging abilities and the ability to convey how I truly feel about a book and to take passages out of a book to make a point or to show why I like the book.  I am used to giving my opinion without much backup and not really caring as to whether somebody likes the post or not.  THIS is a different kettle of fish.  I guess I just assumed that people would be attracted to the blog because it deals with books and that people would comment just because.  I am not trying to make people comment; I should know because I am very bad at commenting on other people's blogs and I try to, but when you have over 400 posts in your Google reader to go through because you have been neglecting it for periods of time, its kinda hard to comment on every single post that comes through (there are some that I should just eliminate because no matter what I am just going to read straight through them most times).  But I suppose a lot of what happened was due to the fact that I am very insecure about myself at times and when I do feel insecure, I tend to go off my rocker at times.

Anyways,  I am going to try and make sure that this is a place where people can talk about books and talk about what they have read or maybe make suggestions as to what sorts of books that I might be interested in based on what I have been reading.

That being said, I do have to let you know that its been a rather tough go with my dad not around as often.  He's my rock in my life and up until this past summer he's been around to make sure that everything is okay with me and that things are even-keeled as much as possible, not that it should excuse my behaviour of the past few days.

I hope that I can put this behind me and move on and make this blog better in the coming years and somewhere where people can come and discuss books and book related topics.  If you have any suggestions as to how I can improve this blog, I am open to suggestions and any sage advice you may want to impart on me.

Sunday Salon - November in review

Can't believe that November has passed by.  Seems like only yesterday that it was the end of October and now we are at the beginning of December.  The last week felt a little rushed and I felt like I was out of my skin a bit and hence I have been feeling like I am little rushed and not in sync with the rest of the world, but I am hoping that this week will slow down a little and I won't feel as though I am going out of my mind, especially since I will be really busy on Saturday with Help Portrait Abbotsford (yes, it is part of the Help-Portrait event that is going on world-wide) and that will take up most of my day.  Honestly I am very tired at the moment and can't wait to have some much needed sleep today and also get some much needed cleaning done.

November was a very productive month in terms of reading, especially since I felt that I didn't get much done during the month.  I managed to get to my goal of reading 15,000 pages for the year and have already surpassed last years goal of 38 books read (I am at 41 at the time of writing this post) and am hoping that in the next few weeks I can get to 50.  If I don't, I will be close in case.  It was also a month in which I blogged a lot (I had 45 posts, which is the most I have ever posted since I started this blog a little over 2 years ago).  Even though I sometimes didn't feel like it, I managed to put up a post most of the time.  And even though I have complained about the lack of comments on my posts, I am starting to realize that I am doing this for fun and the enjoyment of the readers that read the blog on a regular basis.  I understand that not every thing needs to have a comment, but sometimes I feel like I need the affirmation.  But I am slowly starting to understand that not every post needs to have a comment to know that you guys appreciate what I do.  As long you keep reading, I will keep reading.

November book reviews:
1. Frankenstein
2. Little House in the Big Woods
3. Rebel Angels
4. The Wild Rose
5. The Christmas Scrapbook
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

November movie reviews:
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Christmas Story

Title: A Christmas Story
Director: Bob Clark
Running time: 93 min.
Released: 2003 (originally released 1983)

Nine-year-old Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder BB-gun for Christmas, over his parents' objections. (via Fraser Valley Regional Library)

Thoughts: Definitely a favourite of mine.  What I love about the movie is the individual vignettes that occur throughout the film, with the connection that Ralphie wanting a Red Ryder BB-gun no matter what the situation.  Favourite moment is the pink bunny outfit that is sent by a family member for Ralphie.  Love the simplicity of the movie.  Will likely watch this one again before the season is out.

Literary Blog Hop: Dec 1-4

This week The Blue Bookcase asks:
What work of literature would you recommend to someone who doesn't like literature? 

It would really depend on the person you are recommending the piece of literature to, as each person is different and therefore their tastes are different.   But if I did have to suggest a piece of literature, I would recommend To Kill A Mockingbird, as the story is fairly straightforward, but also complex at the same time.  I would probably also suggest something like A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens because it is one of the more simpler books that Dickens wrote (not that I haven't read much by Dickens).  I may also suggest Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.  Yes, I realize that the story probably has a feminist bent to the book, but it still is an excellent read (I read it when I was 16 and it still is one of my favourite books).


I would also suggest This Side of Paradise, which I found to be a fairly easy read and also quite engrossing.  And despite its size,  I would suggest East of Eden by John Steinbeck.  While the book is over 600 pages, I found the book to be something that a non-literature fan would probably enjoy due to the awesomeness that is the book and the fact that I didn't really grasp The Grapes of Wrath, which I found to be somewhat non-readable and maybe a little too long.


Like I said earlier, it would really depend on the person you are recommending a piece of literature to, as not everybody may like it.

Disney's A Christmas Carol

Title: Disney's A Christmas Carol
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Running Time: 96 min.
Released: 2010

Ebenezer Scrooge begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk and his cheery nephew. But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late. Includes featurettes, and deleted scenes. (via Fraser Valley Regional Library)

Thoughts: While I still think that the 1951 version with Alastair Sim in the lead role is the best version out there (I know everybody has their favourite version so I am not going to debate everybody on the best version), this one is definitely up there and is probably my no. 2 and it is more accurate to the novel, including things that weren't included in the 1951 version that my family so loves.  It is rated PG, so I wouldn't recommend it to those with young children as there are some "scary moments", especially with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (even I got a little freaked out when I first watched this in the theatre), but other than that, I highly recommend it.

Follow Friday (Dec.2)

Follow Friday asks this week:

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

My biggest pet peeve is thin storylines/plots, especially when it comes to Christian fiction.  I like stories that are strong and have lots of action within the book, so that when one storyline seems to be thin for a bit that another storyline can emerge and become a little stronger.  While I know that can't happen every time, it certainly does irritate me to the point that I have basically not read any sort of Christian fiction in about 6 months.

Advent Tour - Looking forward

I am slowly getting ready for Christmas.  While my garland is up and decorated and I have my gifts purchased and looking forward to wrapping them and I have the cards addressed and ready to set out for family and friends to receive them in the coming days and weeks, I am not fully ready.  I still have the lights on my balcony to put out, which I am looking forward to getting on in the coming days and today I will start my chocolate advent calendar.  I am also looking to seeing my sister in person for the first time since she left for school in early September.  I am also looking forward to spending more time with my parents and other family members and hopefully some of my friends as well.   But I think the thing that I am looking forward to the most is just kicking back and relaxing and enjoying the season.  I just want to be able to have more than a couple of days to sleep in and get caught up with things.

I am also looking forward to watching some of the Christmas movies that I have on hand and also a number of the books that I have signed out of the library.  I am also looking forward to making some Christmas goodies that I can share with others.