Ah, November. The month of apple cider, falling leaves, Thanksgiving, cozy sweaters, and FRANTIC WRITING LIKE CRAZY SO YOU CAN WRITE 50,000 WORDS IN 30 DAYS! (I’m looking at you, National Novel Writing Month.)
How did a month so tranquil become a month so stressful and panic-inducing?
I guess I wouldn’t have to participate.
I’m a crazy writer.
Anyway, here’s a little update on what happened in October…
What I Read
Four books!! Hurray for books! I actually read stuff! Yay!
- The Reason for God by Timothy Keller: four stars. Very good, well-written, and thought-provoking.
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien: a re-read. five stars. obviously. I had a sudden craving for Tolkien even though there are millions of other books to be read.
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I have no idea what to rate this book. My five-star criteria says “This book was deep, emotionally compelling, and beautiful.” Deep? yes. Emotionally compelling? There were definitely emotions involved… Beautiful? Absolutely not. It was not beautiful. It was horrific. But so, so good. Be warned that your emotions will suffer if you read this book. But still, read it.
- The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall: four stars. Ah, yes. Children’s books. I read this after I finished the aforementioned Picture of Dorian Gray. I needed something light and happy for a change, and it certainly was.
What I Blogged
On the blog this month, we talked about…
- My best time management tips;
- what humility really looks like in the Christian life;
- why procrastination is something we need to overcome;
- who Satan is, and why I don’t celebrate Halloween.
What Others Blogged
- Two great lists for teenage girls from girls who have been there: List for Teenage Girls from Fresh Modesty and 10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Eighteen from Girl Defined.
- A great post about why watching people make out should be awkward.
- From Amanda at Scattered Journal Pages, does God really never give us more than we can handle?
- I really love the idea of making a promise box for my future husband. Guys could do this too!
- 5 Fun Ways to Share Jesus with Your School.
- And, for next year’s reference, here’s another article about celebrating Halloween as Christians.
What I Watched
- The Amazing Spider-Man: three and a half stars. It was pretty good, but not amazing, and I like the original ones a lot better.
- Aladdin: four stars. I watched this again after not watching it for years and years; there are so many references that you don’t get as a little kid! Really great classic that everyone should see.
- Cinderella (2015): this was a re-watch, I saw it in theaters, but we just got in on DVD. Five stars. If I could give this movie more than five stars, I would! It is so, so, so good. Everyone needs to see it. I don’t care if you’re a guy. See it anyway.
What I Listened To
Lots and lots and lots of Broadway!!
A few of my favorite songs:
“Seize the Day” from Newsies
“Defying Gravity” from Wicked
“Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera
Upcoming in November…
- A smaller version of the Thanksgiving Challenge I did on my old blog last year
- How to be cheerful in the daily grind
- Books to read over Thanksgiving Break
- Ideas for how to celebrate Thanksgiving
—
love, grace
True and Pure 