TWO THINGS TO CHANGE YOUR (READING) LIFE

Reading is my first love. My family always jokes I needed glasses at the end of grade two after long hours of reading by the light of my nightlight after bedtime (totally happened, totally didn't cause my poor eyesight). I vividly remember the year I won the summer reading challenge at our public library, reading more books than any other child my age. (It's right up there with my proudest accomplishments.)

When I started my first (of many, many, many) years of post secondary education, reading for pleasure trailed off. I was spending so much time pouring over science textbooks the joy of reading was lost on me. In my 4th year of university I had an easier work load, more elective courses, and rediscovered reading for fun. Since medical school my reading life has again been hot and cold until recently.

This year I discovered the Good Reads app and the What Should I Read Next Podcast. Both have completely changed my year. I listen to the WSIRN podcast for book recommendations and then search the books that interest me on Good Reads. I have logged all of the books I have read this year on my Good Reads app and have surpassed my goal of 10 books by reading a total of 23 so far (and it's only September)! I also love following what my friends are reading!

If you're interested or looking for book suggestions, this is what I've read in 2016 (starting with most recently read and including my rating from 1 to 5 stars):

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ****
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice by Bill Browder ****
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey ****
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum ***
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson *****
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (Neapolitan Novels #3) by Elena Ferrante ****
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling ****
The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia #3) by C.S. Lewis **
The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels #2) by Elena Ferrante *****
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach ***
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett ***
The Magicians Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia #1) by C.S. Lewis ****
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan ***
Little Bee by Chris Cleave ****
The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) by Robert Galbraith ****
My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels #1) by Elena Ferrante ***
Starting from Happy by Patricia Marx *
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling *****
Look at Me by Jennifer Egan ***
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi ****
Exodus by Leon Uris ***
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis *****
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K Rowling *****

2016 SO FAR

I'm such an absentee blogger.

To ease back into it I thought I would give you a brief summary of my year so far!

What I'm reading:
The Neapolitan Novels
The Chronicles of Narnia (for the first time since I was a child)

Where I've been:
California (San Francisco, Carmel, Monterey, Yosemite National Park)
Prince Edward Island
Halifax

What I'm listening to:
The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast
Candi Staton (a really good 1960s/1970s find - some gospel, some disco)
Japanese Breakfast (a band I discovered from a podcast)

What I'm watching:
The Olympics (specifically diving and gymnastics)
Bloodline on Netflix
The Gilmore Girls (this could fall under the 'listening' category because mostly I leave it on as background noise)

What I'm doing:
Working (a lot)
Playing board games (especially Pandemic Legacy and Tikal)
Pilates (as of tonight)
Going to Dee Wilkie's launch party on Thursday

What I'm thinking about:
Setting up my office
Completing my CME credits this year
How skimpy all the Olympics gear is (male and female)
To vacation or not to vacation...always the question

I'm also going to make a big effort to keep the blog running! Fingers crossed!

HOW TO: PHOTO BOOKS

Have you ever attempted to make a photo book? Let me tell you it is one frustrating process. I have tried at least three times and always end on the verge of tears with nothing to show for it. These websites are not easy to use! But doesn't it sound like such a nice idea to make these photo books from your vacation or family photos? I have this vision of one book per vacation starting with Switzerland...sigh... Scrapbooks of the future.

Tonight I had my FIRST successful photo book experience and thought I would share the tips I have learned through my failed attemps. I used Shutterfly and they have a sale on until Jan 27th if you also have two year old photos to print.

Here are my tips:

1. Save immediately and save often. Is it silly to save your file every thirty seconds you ask? No. No it is not. In fact it is prudent. PRUDENT, I say.

2. Choose your photos in advance. This will save you precious time online pulling your hair out. This is a get in, get out mission.

3. Upload photos one or two at a time. Anything more and these websites seem to implode. It's like Y2K predictions on these sites, people.

4. Upload ALL your photos before you begin formatting the pages and adding your pics to the template. I cannot say this enough. One time my photos were "uploading" for hours and hours and then days and days. They are likely still "uploading" in cyberspace this very day.

5. Shutterfly often has sales so there is no need to buy a photo book at full price. Absolutely no need.

6. If all else fails there is an option for the folks at Shutterfly to place your photos in the book themselves. My friend J has done this and she was satisfied with the result. You lose the freedom to micromanage this terrible project, but on the upside you don't need to consume a tub of ice cream at the end of the day.

I hope these tips help someone out there. Learn from my mistakes. Godspeed.

LEROY IN A BOOK

Shout out to my best friend T who sparked the most hilarious idea.

Her little guy is our godson (cue the aaaaw's) and a few months ago I bought him this book at Wal Mart of all places. It is a really adorable book that is very interactive and slightly hilarious with fuzzy puppies, crinkly paper, and scratch and sniffs. So cute.

When I told T about this book she asked if there were pictures of border collies like Leroy. She said when she reads dog books to her little guy she points out "There's Leroy!" and "There's Maddie!" for all the border collies and golden doodles. Well having Leroy spotted in a book just seemed like the best idea.

So clearly I had to alter this book in some way. I took a photo of Leroy, cut around it and taped him onto a grey dog whose proportions suited Leroy's head. I like to think when we pulled this out at our godson's baptism it was a hit all around. Haha! Can't wait to read it with him and point out our favourite furry man.

BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS: POST THREE

These books are for the especially little people in your life. A few are classics you probably grew up with and a couple of new ones I have found when buying books for the children in my life. (I have a few favourite books from when I was little but they are not easy to locate so I haven't included my all time faves here.)

1. Little Critter - Mercer Mayer. This one is a collection but all of the Little Critter books are lovely with a little lesson. I particularly remember "Just Me and My Dad".
2. The Dark - Lemony Snicket. This is a new one I bought for my cousin's little girl. It is the story of Lazlo, who is afraid of the dark until one day he confronts it head on and discovers it isn't so scary after all. Really cute and the illustrations by Jon Klassen are full of mute colours and I think they're beautiful.
3. Franklin - Paulette Bourgeois. Another classic collection. Same old turtle. You know him and you love him (she wrote those favourites I was mentioning earlier an if I ever find them in print online I will post about them)!
4. Curious George - Margret an H.A. Rey. My mom bought me a Curious George Christmas book this year. Enough said. This was a household favourite and the one I remember best is "Curious George Bakes a Cake".
5. Press Here - Herve Tullet. A genius book. I bought it for my friend's baby and it is sooo incredible. It is interactive, telling the child what to do for each page (e.g. press all the yellow spots) and on the following page the spots have changed! It is so awesome.
6. I Want My Hat Back - Jon Klassen. You might remember his name from point number two. I picked this up in a store and read it all the way through. It makes me laugh.

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BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS: POST TWO

Here is a selection of books if you have a child age 9-12 in your life to shop for.

1. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery. This book has a special place in my heart. Anne is a heroine with imagination and gumption. Everyone will love her and the trouble she gets into. Boys or girls will probably enjoy this book but perhaps geared more to little girls.
2. Silverwing - Kenneth Oppel. I happened across this book as a kid when Santa left it for me. It might sound strange but it is the story of a bat. It's a great one and it's part of a series if you like it. For boys or girls.
3. The Sky is Falling - Kit Pearson. Kit Pearson is a Canadian treasure, I tell ya. Nora and Gavin are a brother and sister displaced to Canada from England during WW2. A great story and interesting from a historical perspective, too. Again, part of a fantastic trilogy. More of a girls' book.
4. A Handful of Time - Kit Pearson. I had to include another Kit Pearson. Really you can't go wrong with any of her books. In this one the main character winds back a clock and goes back in time to when her own mother is growing up. More of a girls' book.
5. Harry Potter - JK Rowling. Any and all of these. Book four on are a bit dark but the first three are definitely appropriate for 9-12 year olds. Harry is 11 in the first book so I love the idea of starting to read them as a 10-11 year old. Obviously for boys or girls.
6. Underground to Canada - Barbara Smucker. The story of Julilly - a little girl traveling to Canada on the underground railroad. A great way for children to learn about a terrible part of North American history but also how slaves were able to escape to freedom. I read this in elementary school so I would recommend it for 9-10 year old boys or girls.
7. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis. You know it. You love it. Spread the love by sharing it with a child you know. It's a religious allegory with Aslan the lion as Jesus. I myself am hoping Santa brings me the series someday. ;) For boys or girls.
8. Holes - Louis Sachar. This was a favourite of both my brother's and mine (and our mom loves it too)! A boy is sent to a camp for delinquents and is forced to dig holes all summer. Eventually we find out what they are looking for... For boys and girls! Also a movie.

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BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS: POST ONE

Some of my best friends are books!

Here are some of my favourites for young readers, range 6-8 years old. These are also perfect bedtime stories to be read with Mom or Dad.

1. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White. Classic - a touching story of friendship. You already know it. A pig and a spider become unlikely friends.
2. Stuart Little - E.B. White. Another classic and beautiful story. The adventures of a little mouse who lives with his (human) family.
3. Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Louis Sachar. A fun little book that has lots of silly stories (like the elevator that only went down and the other elevator that only went up. They worked perfectly well...one time each).
4. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne. I read this classic book for the first time last year and it touches my heart. There is wisdom, kindness, and love there. I highly recommend it as a bedtime story to share - you will love classic Pooh. Silly old bear.
5. The "Fudge" Collection - Judy Blume. It seems to be a favourite of elementary school teachers (at least at my school)! Another light-hearted one for the family.
6. Amelia Bedelia - Peggy Parish. The misadventures of a nanny who always gets it wrong.
7. The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster. I would consider this to be at a slightly higher reading level but it is such a wonderful story that children in this age range will love, too. Full of literary puns and expressions ("jumping to conclusions" and a "watch dog") it is the story of Milo who is always bored and drives through the mysterious tollbooth that arrives at his house one day only to find the best adventure. This is one of my all time favourites.

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FORGOTTEN GOD

A photo taken at a friend's cottage last summer.

 I recently finished "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan.  You may remember a couple of months ago I did a little review of "Crazy Love", also by Chan.  Crazy Love is a novel about how to go deeper into your relationship with God...how to take the next step and really follow Jesus.  Forgotten God is completely different and focuses on the Holy Spirit.  Chan analyzes the Holy Spirit's importance and role in our lives.

For me, one of the most interesting sections of this novel speaks about God's calling in our lives.  Often you'll hear people talk this way, saying God has a purpose for them.  Sometimes people claim to be waiting for this purpose to be made known to them.  Chan states waiting for God's calling can be an excuse Christians use.  He says God doesn't care so much what we do ten years from now, He really cares about what we do today.  By waiting for our future purpose, we might be making excuses not to take action in the present.

This reminded me of something my high school ISCF (Inter-Scholastic Christian Fellowship) leader/biology teacher told me.  When I was in grade twelve, I found deciding which university to go to quite stressful.  I had approached Mr. D for advice because I thought him to be a man of God (who had been making the same decision a few years before me) and I greatly respected his opinion.  As a seventeen year old, I did not expect the answer I received.

Mr. D asked me, "Have you prayed about this?"

My response was, "Well, of course I have!!  I want to know where God thinks I should spend the next four years!  He must want me to be somewhere specific!"

Wisely, Mr. D then told me, "God wants you to raise up your decisions to Him.  He wants to be a part of your life and He wants you to look to Him for guidance.  However, God isn't going to send you a miraculous sign from heaven to show you which university to attend.  He won't send a lightning bolt to University A so you know that's where you're supposed to be.  He wants to be included in your decision and He'll make sure the decision you make is the right one."

Wow.  As a teenager, I thought that was the most awesome thing I had ever heard.  I think he was totally right.  That's my "God's purpose" story.  God wants to be a part of what you do today.  You don't have to make decisions for the next ten years because you think they are part of God's will.  Maybe they are, maybe they aren't.  Allow Him to be part of your daily decisions and He will make sure you are doing as He wants.

And back to the Holy Spirit, remember: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control are the fruits of the Spirit.  I'm certainly not someone who memorizes Bible verses, (although I can paraphrase quite a few - ha),but in high school I took the time to learn these.  They're what you should be producing if you are living a life of faith with the assistance of my man, H.S.  They seemed like something to strive for and so I thought it was important I knew what they were.  Quite often I recite them to myself and think about the ones I'm not doing well (which is often all of the above).  Regardless, they're something to strive for!

DIVERGENT

One choice can transform you.

Above is the tagline of Veronica Roth's novel Divergent.  This book is set in a Utopian Chicago after, once again, humans have made terrible choices and destroyed the planet.  To correct the wrongdoings of mankind, the human race is divided into five "factions".  These factions include: abnegation (the selfless), candor (the honest), dauntless (the fearless), erudite (the knowledgeable), and amity (the peaceful).  People within each faction have very little interaction with those in other factions.

At the age of sixteen, adolescents complete a test to determine which character trait they possess.  You might expect children to resemble their parents and thus continue in their current faction, but this is not necessarily the case.  However, regardless of your test result, you may still choose whatever faction you like.  This means you may choose to remain with your family under any circumstances, or you may choose to abandon your family for a new faction.

Following the ceremony in which you must decide your future, you must survive the tasks of initiation or you will be factionless, which seems a fate worse than death.  Without a faction you must live on the outskirts of society, not belonging to any group, utterly alone.

Now the clincher.  If the test determines you possess more than one character trait - perhaps you are both dantless and candid (candor) - this is bad.  And of course this is the fate of our main character.

I enjoyed Divergent and was able to read through it in an afternoon.  It's an interesting concept and being a bit futuristic there are some cool simulators etc that are fun to read about.  The initiation process seems terrifying and therefore is highly entertaining.  And of course, what would a teen book be without a little dose of love?

After reading The Hunger Games, I found Divergent fell a little flat.  I fell in love with Katniss, Peeta, and Gale (the protagonists in THG) and Divergent's heroine, Tris, had a lot to live up to.  Following fantastic books like THG trilogy would be difficult for any author and although Roth provides an entertaining read and interesting concept, the similarities to THG force comparisons to be made.

THG is set in a dystopian society and Divergent is utopian.  In both cases, humans have ruined the world through wars and corruption.  In both the remaining population is divided into groups (THG is divided into 13 districts and Divergent is divided into 5 factions).  A corrupt group is attempting to rule over all the divisions in both novels.  The main character is female in each novel, obviously there is a love interest in both...  As you can see, there are enough similarities to draw comparison.

I feel a little sad for Veronica Roth who released her utopian novel during The Hunger Games craze.  I would still recommend Divergent for your Saturday afternoon read.  You will certainly enjoy the read - although you probably would have enjoyed it more before you read THG.

Veronica Roth also has a blog (although she doesn't seem to be an avid blogger) that has a really cool post about the steps involved while publishing a book!

ALOHOMORA

This summer a friend of mine thought she wanted a tattoo of Hermione's wand.  (Yes, you read that correctly - and she knows who she is.)

To prevent this from happening I made her a painting for her birthday to try to satisfy her tattoo craving.  It's water colour and pen on paper.



Hermione's wand.  Original watercolour.

MY BEST FRIENDS

Some of my best friends are books.  I have fond memories of laying in my "reading chair" in my parents' living room with my feet on the wall reading for hours.  My grandparents lived 7 hours from my family and I often spent the entire drive engrossed in a book.  Often I had two or three on the go and would finish a chapter in one just to move onto the next novel.

My parents might account my poor eyesight to my love of reading, actually.  This is because when I was supposed to be asleep I would read by the light of my nightlight so they couldn't tell I was still awake.  It became a bit of a problem...

In kindergarten I read books to my classmates.  In grade one I finished The Babysitter's Club series.  In grade two I read The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White and the Little House on the Prairie books.  From there I went on to tackle Nancy Drew, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, The Phantom Tollbooth, and many more!  As I said before - some of my best friends are books!

If you can also be found late at night saying, "Just one more page!", hiding your current novel under the desk during lecture, gabbing non-stop to whoever will listen about, "This great book I just read!" then you need to watch this video.  It will make your heart happy.

DECEMBER 2011 BOOK CLUB

Book club is Thursday and we will be discussing The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  If you haven't heard of this book you've been living under a rock. :)  All the kids are talking about this trilogy.  It's one of those series both kids and their parents can read.

Over the summer I devoured this novel and over the last week and a half I borrowed the other two books from a friend (Catching Fire and Mocking Jay).  Both equally as wonderful.  I have to say these are the best books I have read in awhile.  My whole class at school has been reading them and we are all so excited to talk about them and pass them onto each other!

The setting is post-apocalyptic with thirteen districts within what used to be North America.  75 years ago there were uprisings against the Capitol and to rebuke the districts for this rebellion, each year the names of one female and one male between the ages of 12 and 18 (or something like that) are drawn from each district.  These "tributes" as they are called must compete in the Hunger Games and only one tribute can live.  It sounds like a crazy idea for a novel (and a bit morbid, at that) but trust me - they are amazing!!  So amazing that the only thing really on my Christmas list this year is the box set on sale now at Chapters/Indigo.

The trailer for the movie coming out in March looks just as amazing.  Have a peak.  Read the books.

FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

Look what I found from this etsy shop!

It's a bookmark that looks like the Wicked Witch of the East!!  (West was the one who melted when Dorothy doused her with water.  East was the sister of West and was crushed by Dorothy's house.)  Want to see another view??  I thought so.

This combines a couple of things I enjoy - reading and the musical Wicked!  Here is a photo from Times Square summer 2010.  Hubby and I saw Wicked and loved it.

 

To incorporate a Christmas theme, this etsy shop has other bookmarks including Santa or an elf's legs.

I think this could be a great stocking stuffer.

S.C. - SANTA CLAUS OR SPINAL CORD?

Today was an incredibly long, school-packed day.  It began with a psychiatry clinical skills session from 8:30 - 10:00 with a lunch break to follow (filled with studying) and then resumed with a second clinical skills session from 12:30 - 3:30.  I spent the rest of the afternoon studying neuroanatomy and then looked at microscope slides in the anatomy lab from 6:00 - 9:30.  Believe it or not I then came home and watched more recorded lectures.  My brain is full of...the brain.

To unwind I'm doing a quick little blogging session and thinking about Christmas!  Knowing I can prepare for Christmas once my exam is finished is one of the only things keeping me going!

I know everyone likes Christmas but I LOVE Christmas.  Really, really love it.  Don't believe me?  I feel so strongly about Christmas that I have been known to say wistfully, "I miss Christmas..." at fairly regular intervals throughout the rest of the year (probably at least once a month).  I have been listening to my new Amy Grant Christmas cd since October.  I keep Christmas music on my ipod all year and when the shuffle button reunites me with these songs on my mid-July jogs, I don't change the song.

Are you convinced yet?

One of the things I remember most about Christmas as a child is my mom reading my brother and I (and eventually our sister) Christmas stories before bed.  I emailed my mom this week and asked for the titles of some of our family's favourite Christmas books.  Here are a few truly wonderful additions to your holiday collection!

The Smallest Elf - a story about an elf who isn't as talented at toy-making as the others.  When Santa proposes a contest to create a special toy for a lonely little boy, Elvin discovers what the boy really wants most of all.  [This might be my absolute favourite.]

The Advent Calendar: Pop-up Book - my grandparents bought this story for my brother and I.  It's nice to have a version of the Christmas story to read as a family during the holidays and this one is especially fun because it's a pop-up book.  We read this on Christmas morning for a few years before we opened gifts.

The Sweet Smell of Christmas - have you ever owned a scratch and sniff?!  It may just be the most fun thing ever!!  Even now I love to scratch the pages of this book even though they have looooong ago stopped smelling.  This is my little sister's favourite.  It's about a little bear and his family's activities during Christmas.  There are scents for the fir tree his family chops down, candy canes they put on the tree, hot chocolate for the carolers, an orange in his stocking...you know the deal.  I will always love smelling this book.  Is that weird?

Tosca's Christmas - for the cat lover in your life.  This little kitty, Tosca, doesn't understand why there is suddenly a tree in her living room or pretty paper on the floor.  She is scolded throughout the book and I can't quite remember the ending but I'm sure it's happy.

 

 

CRAZY LOVE

I recently finished all of the novels on my book club's list (and then some).  When we were in Europe, my friend S was reading "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan and so upon completion of my current reads, I asked S if I could borrow both "Forgotten God" and "Crazy Love".

I started with "Crazy Love" because I think it was written first.  The tagline for the novel (if novels have taglines) is: overwhelmed by a relentless God.  This was written for Christians who want more than what they are currently getting in the church our society provides.  In the foreword Chan says this book is for people who don't want to plateau.  Hey - wait a minute... I don't want to plateau!

In the first chapter Chan mentions attending his high school reunion where all of his old friends were amazed by his wife.  Apparently he's the one who married "up" in their relationship (there's always one).  His friends couldn't believe Chan ended up with someone so beautiful.  Although he was attracted to his wife and thought she was stunning when they were dating, some of her beauty had been lost to him because they have been married for years.  When you see someone every day it's hard to be in constant awe of them.

Sometimes when we have been a Christian for a long time, we can get in a similar rut with God.  We know God is awesome (the book makes note especially of God being holy, eternal, all-knowing, and all-powerful) but as we go through the motions of our daily lives, read the Bible as we do every day, attend church like we have our whole lives...sometimes we forget just how awesome He really is.

Stop and think about it.  Really think about it.  God made everything - from the moons of Jupiter to the neurons of your brain (which I can attest are extremely complicated).  And He is eternal.  Eternal.  That means He has always been.  What's up with that?!  When you really stop and contemplate what it means to be eternal...we just can't comprehend.

Today why not stop what you're doing and ponder God and His creation.  Marvel.  That's what I'm doing.

EXPECTO PATRONUM

I found this HP video on pinterest and I must say it is more than I hoped it would be!  All I can say is, if I feel this sad about the Harry Potter books and movies being finished, I can't believe how these three must feel.  If you love these books as much as I do, you will love this video.

HERMIONE

Ten things I learned from Hermione:

10. Everyone needs a break from school sometimes.
9. What your parents don't know won't hurt them.
8. Books can be your greatest asset.
7. Sometimes it's nice to fix yourself up.
6. Crying is allowed.
5. Be kind to everyone.
4. The smart girl can get the guy.
3. It's okay to be a rule follower.
2. Carry a big purse.
1. Even muggle borns can be destined for greatness.