Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Book Review: Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck


I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book from the author's website, and boy am I glad. I finished this book in less than a week. (That's fast for me!) This book would make a great summer read. Although I read it in December it made me feel warm and cosy.

The premise of the story is that Elle has recently broken off her engagement and while her broken heart heals she meets.... well, I won't tell you anymore. You'll have to read it yourself!

I love that it's a Christian love story. (ie: the characters don't jump into bed with the first guy they meet, it's about true love.) I also like how there is alot of talk about prayer in the book, as it reminds me about the importance of prayer in Christian life.

This book was just passed this one on to one of my good friends, but I can say that I would read more of Rachel's books in the future.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Friday Fave Five

Hosted by Susanne, go here to join in!


1) Secret Pal package: I received my second secret swap pal package this week. It had some wonderfully soft yarn, a good book, along with some coloured pencils and notebook. It made me happy just to rub the soft yarn on my cheek. :)


2) Mountains: The North Shore Mountains look so pretty all covered in snow.

3) White Christmas: We might have a white Christmas this year. Or as close as we've had in a long time. It's supposed to snow on Sunday and be very cold for the following week. With temps in the zero and below range any snow we get won't be melted before Christmas. Ohhhh, so pretty!

4) Knitting Progress: I finished the Swiffer cover for my friend. I'm at the point in my top-down sweater where the arms have been separated. Seeing progress encourages me to keep knitting more. (Haven't had much time to do that lately.)

5) Presents: I've finishing all the gift shopping and I only have one more gift to wrap.

And one bonus:

6) My nephew: I spent a bunch of time with my sister and 7 1/2 month old nephew yesterday. He is trying to "walk"! If you hold his hands he moves his feet and "walks". He's too young to pull himself to an upright position, but his mom better watch out when he does learn! He has also learned to crawl but can only go backwards! Silly boy! :P

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Book Review: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant


I first heard of this book about a year ago. It came with high recommendation from a non-Christian lady I meet through the Vancouver Knitting Meet-up. It peaked my interest that someone who didn't believe in the Bible would find a book based on a biblical story interesting.

When I finally starting reading the book I had a few reservations. For myself I do believe the bible and that every story recorded there is true. So when I started reading The Red Tent some of the questions that came up were: How can the author write about something that happened so many years ago? How can her account be accurate? I have a hard time thinking or reading a story that is based on a true event, but with out having any input from the people who were part of the event.

I kept all of this at the back of my mind as I read the book, which I found interesting. It was nice to be able to read and think about the day to day life of the women mentioned in the bible. They are more than just wife and mother, they were story tellers, teachers, midwifes, and weavers.

Even as I read the great story of the lives of these women I still had doubts about this truth of the story compared to what the bible said. I wasn't until I was finished the story and read the reading group guide at the end of the book that I felt better about all my questions. The reading guide says:

Aiding her (the author's) work was "midrash", the ancient and still vital literary form, which means "search" or "investigation."

"Historically, the rabbis used this highly imaginative form of story telling to make sense of the elliptical nature of the Bible... The compressed stories and images in the Bible are rather like photographs. They don't tell us everything we want or need to know. Midrash is the story about what happened before and after the photographic flash."

She points out that "The Red Tent is not a translation but a work of fiction. Its perspective and focus....distinguishes it from the biblical account in which women are usually peripheral and often totally silent. By giving Dinah a voice and by providing texture and content to the sketchy biblical descriptions, my book is a radical departure from the historical text."

I felt so much better after reading this. It is after all just a novel. I'm sure the author did her research and is quite accurate in her writing. But for some reason this just put my mind at ease. Has anyone else had issues with reading a novel that is based and true events but not a strict re-telling of the events?

Anyway....the novel is an enjoyable read. It's based on the events on Genesis 34 and is told from the view point of Dinah. She tells us about her family, and how things started before her birth. It then follows her story and her (possible) life after then events recorded in the bible.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Snow day! and other randomness

It's snowing here in Greater Vancouver again. It's the second snow day in less than a week. (translation: stay off the roads!!) Its supposed to be really cold here for the next week or so. Really cold it this case means: zero celsius and down to -8 on some days!

I've been tagged in a meme by Katie and I have every intention of doing this but my computer needs to see the doctor. So this will be tackled once its all fixed up.

I finished reading Twilight in just 3 days and put New Moon on hold at the library but there were 146 people in front of me in the library line up.....so how know how long that will take?!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Friday Fill-Ins # 102

1. Friends are the best support system.
2. Good health; it's taken for granted.
3. I'm ready for Christmas.
4. Whatever the guy from my old office used to wear is one of my favorite perfumes or aftershaves or smells.
5. The oldest ornament I have is not that old....my parents on the other hand have some from the 50s or earlier.
6. Take some aunts, uncles, cousins, and food mix it all together and you have a family Christmas gathering.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing in from of the TV (Ghost Whisperer) with my knitting, tomorrow my plans include heading to J & K's and Sunday, I want to watch Anne of Green Gables - A New Beginning on TV!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Books!

Look what is waiting for me to pick it up at the library:

Meyer, Stephenie, 1973- Twilight / Stephenie Meyer. Held at the Brighouse (Main) until Dec 16, 2008


In addition last week I opened my mailbox to find a copy of Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck. I entered to win a copy from her website and the publishers decided to give a copy of everyone who entered. I'm really enjoying it and can't seem to put it down!

I've recently finished The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I'll do a write up on it pretty soon. I wanted a couple of days to think about it before I wrote.