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Midweek Mix-Up #10—Science Fiction and a Free Motivating Chrome Extension

August 27, 2015 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

27 Aug

Another week, here already! I’m not sure what happened with last week’s midweek mix-up (unless it got buried under the work to get the newsletter written and sent, which is a good possibility). Whatever the case, I’m back—and hopefully I’ll remember next week to do it!

Reading this week:

Last week, I found this fancy Chrome extension that converts blog posts to Kindle books (and sends them directly to your Kindle) with only a few clicks. So I’ve been reading a lot more blog posts recently than I had been for quite a while. Consequently, I haven’t read a whole lot in the way of real books this week, but I have read a fair amount in . . . .

The Destiny of One, by Sarah Holman

The Destiny of One, by Sarah Holman
Progress: 44%

This is a fascinating book. The first true science fiction book I’ve ever read, I believe—apart from the Magic Schoolbus series, of course (I guess The Twenty-One Balloons is sci-fi, but that doesn’t feel like the typical sci-fi book). I’m not sure it’s completely my genre—I’ll probably be a stickler for good ole’ historical fiction—but Maria has certainly interested me in her story and quest. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

New books on the website!

It’s fun to know there are fresh reviews for you to read each week. Here’s this week’s offering:

  • Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard — Danny discovers the love of his life—a great dog, and teaches him to survive in the wilderness.
  • Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray  — Philo and his two brothers find themselves on opposing sides in the conflict between the Jews and the Romans in 70 AD.
  • Ghost of the Moaning Mansion by Lee Roddy  — D. J. and his friends are trying to locate Grandpa, who has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.
  • Light From Heaven by Christmas Carol Kauffman — Raised by a Godly mother and an abusive father, Joseph learned to know and love his Heavenly Father.
  • A Sweet Singer by Marla Martin  — Lee was lonely, sitting on the porch, until God sent a bird to sing to him.
  • The Adventures of Peter Cottontail by Thornton W. Burgess  — Peter Rabbit has a hard time being content with who he is.
  • A Boy of Two Worlds by Lorna Eglin — Can Lemayan blend his two worlds, that of his Maasai family and that he lives in the  Christian boarding school, together?
  • The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese — When Ping gets lost one day from his home on a boat on the Yangtzee River, the little duck must dodge many dangers as he tries to find his way home again.
  • Martha by Gennady Spirin — The story, in words and beautiful pictures, of a crow that was rescued by the author’s wife and son.
  • The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff — Centurion Marcus has a mission—to recover the lost Eagle from his father’s Ninth Legion.

Most helpful blog posts this week:

  • Be More Productive: The 15-Minute Routine Anthony Trollope Used to Write 40+ Books (James Clear) — This is a very useful tip, and a post I’m going to keep around for a while!
  • How to Write a Bio That Will Turbocharge Your Guest Posts (Write to Done) — Great thoughts on what should make up a good bio—would be useful in writing an “about” page, too.
  • Fantasy and Science Fiction: Good or Bad? (Heritage Literature) — I find it a bit ironic that I’m currently reading a science fiction book right now, and linking to this post—but that’s how things happen at times! Obviously, I don’t completely agree with Lauren, but at the same time I see her point. Very thought provoking article; I’m glad she had the courage to post it!
  • No, You Don’t Have to Work 24/7 to Succeed (Michael Hyatt) — What do you think about the recent news on how Amazon operates? I’m not very impressed! Michael Hyatt has some great thoughts on why such a mentality is wrong, and what we should actually do to be the most productive we can be.
  • Twaddle-Free Literature by Grade Level (A Charlotte Mason Home) — I’ve heard of (or read) many of these—they’re pretty much all very good books.
  • The Daily Word Counts of 39 Famous Authors (Writers Write) — This post is very inspiring. I doubt I’ll ever be able to keep up such strict routines as some of these writers, but they knew how to stick to their work even when it was hard, and knowing that they were able to do that, I have hope that one day I’ll be able to get better at my jobs too.

Resource of the week:

Be Limitless: Track your time and stay focused on your goals. Constantly be motivated to stay at your best.

A nice title for a great extension (or prod, if you prefer to think of it as a slave driver). Basically, this new tab replacer gives you detailed stats on how you’re spending your time (um…maybe not so nice, but it is good to face facts once in a while), tells you what goals you should be working toward right now, and overall helps you stay focused and inspired.

And that’s it for this week! Have a great weekend!

Question: Do you read (or have you read) science fiction novels? What’s your take on the issue—think they’re okay for Christians, or maybe we shouldn’t be reading them (as Lauren believes)? Comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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