Hiya!

Busy holiday season - particularly exciting too but I shan't tell you why! - is just about over. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to my poor neglected blog and actually post something every now and then though never, I fear, as regularly as I used to. I started reading a new book yesterday so I'm on the look-out for a good excerpt from it to share with you all. Catch ya later and keep blogging! :)

The Eagle of the Ninth Book Review.

Title: The Eagle of the Ninth.

Author: Rosemary Sutcliff.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Classic.

Plot: Marcus Flavius Aquila, a youthful Roman cohort commander, marches to his first command in Ancient Britain. Some wondered why he chose Britain of all places for his first command. In some way, he has family ties to the wet and rainy country; his uncle lives in Britain and his father, commander of the infamous Ninth Legion that had marched away into the wilderness of Britain beyond the Wall and never returned over ten years earlier, had last been stationed in Britain. Marcus, a soldier through and through, makes good his first command in spite of his youth, and saves his men in battle with the wild tribesmen. The personal cost of the victory was a high one: Marcus would never be a soldier again.

Laid up in his uncle’s house for nearly two years recovering from his wounds, having them reopened and then recovering again, Marcus was lonely and had plenty of time to think. And yet, he also had opportunities to make three loyal life-long friends. Esca, a British slave and gladiator for the sport of bloodthirsty Romans, was purchased and then freed by Marcus. Cub, a wild wolf Esca rescued while still dependent upon his mother, was raised by Marcus and Esca together and goes bounding about the house like an overgrown puppy. And Cottia, a fiery-tempered graceful British maiden who has a fashionable aunt who is trying to Romanize her, becomes something more than just a friend to Marcus. When Marcus undergoes surgery on his leg, it is these three friends who cheer him, and it is they who, though saddened by his decision, support him when he embarks on a dangerous quest to find the lost eagle of his father’s legion beyond Agricola’s Wall.

Likes/Dislikes: Beautifully well written in a style that is old, endearing and breathtaking. The characters are all wonderfully well drawn and the scenes are skillfully described in such a manner as to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind without becoming too tedious. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long while!

Rating: PG-10 and up for reading level. Recommended for all ages.

Date Report Written: November 12, 2011.

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo started today and between chores, feeling sick, wondering what on earth my sibs were doing, chatting, and listening to my sis practice her cello, I managed to get 2,054 words written. Sweet. I'll post more later. Maybe. I'm off to have dinner and go to bed. We've got a storm blowing in so our poor garden is being rapidly harvested. *grins*

Gods and Kings Book Review.

Title: Gods and Kings.

Author: Lynn Austen.

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Biblical Fiction.

Plot: Hezekiah was one of the few upright kings of Ancient Israel yet we know very little about his childhood and upbringing. This book takes a fictional though very convincing look into how his character might have been formed.

Born the second son of wicked King Ahaz, Hezekiah's young life was ripped apart when he was forced to watch his father sacrifice his elder brother to the pagan god Molech one horrifying night. His life became a living nightmare and he grew to hate his perverted father greatly. The one constant thing he could still love and trust was his mother, Abijah. While mourning the loss of her firstborn son and fearing for Hezekiah's sanity, Abijah vows to save him from his brother's fate and turns back to the God of her childhood, Yahweh. Risking her life with this new-found belief in Israel's one true God, Abijah secretly moves her aged father, Zechariah - a temple priest with guilt riddling his heart over a past failure - into Hezekiah's room in the palace in the hopes that Zechariah might be able to help her child. Brought to the lowest point in his life and suddenly aware that he doesn't want Hezekiah to have the same future as his father and grandfather before him, Zechariah begins to teach the boy about Yahweh.

But when his mother is taken away, his grandfather put under house arrest and Uriah, the power-hungry High Priest-turned-palace-administrator, running the country for the now constantly drunk King Ahaz, Hezekiah's youthful faith wanes. On top of that, his new tutor - an Egyptian named Shebna - doesn't believe in any gods at all. Hezekiah, not knowing any better, turns to weapons training as a means to save himself from Molech.

Fast forward about twenty years and Hezekiah is a grown man, ready for the task Yahweh has set for him. But how can he be ready when the faith of his childhood has grown to a vague memory?

Likes/Dislikes: I liked this book a good deal. It did seem to drag a little here and there but the climatic ending made up for that. Toward the beginning there are two or three kissing scenes between Ahaz and his wife Abijah but nothing beyond that. There is some violence; children being thrown into a pit of fire and a death scene at the end but these didn't effect me. This portrayal of what Hezekiah's childhood could have been like was highly interesting and very well researched. I didn't like the fact that the author used the New International Version of the Bible but I couldn't help that very much. In short, a very enjoyable read; I recommend it to older teens and adults.

Rating: PG-16 and up for content.

Date Report Written: October 29, 2011.

I received this book for free from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

A Round of Interesting Blog Posts 19.

Yeah, not Tuesday but I've been so busy that my posting schedule will be very random from now on. :) And yeah, the following links are kinda disorganized and slapped together because I'm super tired right now and am gonna take a nap as soon as I post this. Enjoy nonetheless!

http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-review-of-asenath.html

http://shieldmaidenofgod.blogspot.com/2011/10/nanowrimo.html

http://awritingmaiden.blogspot.com/2011/10/in-only-dozen-days.html

http://reviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2011/10/twilight-destroying-contentment-around.html

http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2011/10/lets-talk-about-snow-white.html

http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-beauty-by-robin-mckinley.html

http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2011/10/avengers-first-trailer.html

http://shieldmaidenofgod.blogspot.com/2011/10/dr-who-meets-dr-seuss.html

Proverbs 10.

"The Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death. 3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked. 4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. 6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 7 The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. 8 The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall. 9 He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known. 10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall. 11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. 13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. 14 Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. 15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16 The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin. 17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray. 18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. 19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. 20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. 21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. 22 The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. 23 To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. 24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. 26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him. 27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 30 The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth. 31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out. 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse. "                             ~ Proverbs 10. NKJV