A Melodious Sonnet - Page 20 of 59 - Notes from a word-chaser

2020 Reading Goals (+ #ReadingChallenges!)

January 6, 2020 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

6 Jan

It’s a chilly, rainy day here on the west coast, and someone got our fire going for the first time this year. Usually, we’re having warm (if not hot!) sunny days this time of year, but due to a combination of the smoke coming this way from the Australian wildfires and the normal cold fronts that move through from time to time, we have a cooler day today.

I just finished a cup of tea, and am about ready to tackle some other projects—but I though it would be fun to first sit down and drop a line to you!

Last year, according to my on-paper tracker, I read 55 books. Although I didn’t get Goodreads updated in time (something I’m hoping to rectify this week!), it was a very good reading year, surpassing my yearly goal by five books. I’m hoping to do more than that this year, although my “official” goal is to read 50 books.

One change I’m planning to do this year, as opposed to last year, is to participate in four different reading challenges!

As an avid reader, I’m really excited about these! I feel like I tend to get stuck in the Christian fiction genre a lot, so I’m hoping these will help me get out of that rut a little bit—besides the fact that, well, they’re just so fun! Of the 55 books I read last year, 37 (67%) were Christian fiction, and 15 (27%) were non-fiction.

So, in no particular order, here are the four challenges I’m looking forward to doing this year:

1. Netgalley/Edelweiss Reading Challenge

Last year, I read 12 books that came from NetGalley, and I still have 3 I haven’t read, besides some OLD ones I’m not sure I’ll ever read. I know there will likely be lots of other good books from here coming out in 2020, so I’m aiming for the Bronze (10 books) level, which may end up upgrading to Silver (25 books) before the year is out, depending on how many books I end up with.

2. Tim Challies’ 2020 Christian Reading Challenge

I was aiming to do this challenge two years ago, but only ended up reading one book for it. #epicfail This year, I have it printed out and pasted into the diary I use daily, so hopefully I’ll remember to refer back to it regularly this year! I’m aiming for the Avid (26 books) level, although I’d love to get to Committed (52 books) if I can. Depends on how many books I can find that would work for multiple lists!

3. Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2020 Reading Challenge

I picked this one because it’s a short challenge AND one that I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble finding books for (well, maybe the “local author” one…might need to scope out our local library for that)! We’ll see. I’ve printed out her super-cute bookmark, and am looking forward to filling it up with the different titles as I read.

4. 2020 Christian Fiction Readers’ Challenge

Even though I would like to have a fairly balanced reading diet (which means, ideally, that I will be reading a good number of non-fiction books this year), if I am going to read fiction, I’d rather it be Christian fiction of some kind. I do enjoy some historical fiction that isn’t Christian, but not a lot. Some of the ideas here are fun—as in, I’m not sure how many “Esther” fiction writers I’ve come across so far (may need to fudge for that one…any ideas?). I’m aiming for Teir 2 (26 books), although I’d love to get through Tier 3 if I can!

Here’s my current to-be-read-next list:

Right now, I’m almost done reading Stories Behind the Songs and Hymns About Heaven by Ace Collins, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fit it into any of the challenges besides the NetGalley challenge. My next two, though…I think I’ll be able to manage!

Now, I need to go try to finish the 12 (!) book reviews I need to catch up on!

Are you doing any reading challenges this year? If so, which ones? What do you have up next on your to-be-read list?

NaNoWriMo 2019

December 13, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

13 Dec

I have a little picture filed away above a list of many other memory-inducing snapshots on my computer.

It’s from the first day of November, the day I was supposed to start NaNoWriMo*. Instead, my room got a thorough clean out and tidy up! I did end up writing to my word count that day, I think, but it still makes me laugh—that’s so typical of day one for me, the excitement and trepidation as one stands at the edge of a cliff, wings ready to glide, but unsure yet if the winds will be strong enough to keep you aloft.

After that initial day of procrastination with a little writing on the side, the rest of the month blurred into writing in every little tidbit of time I could snatch, sometimes staying up until 11:30 at night or later just so I could finish.

Day 1: Cleaning day!

I didn’t intend to stay up late, on October 30th or 31st when I signed up for the challenge. “I’ll only do what I reasonably can,” I promised myself. “It’s okay if I don’t win. I’ll only write as much as I have the time for.”

Ha. And ha! again.

I tend to be the type to really appreciate a challenge, and try to win the game—no matter what it is.

And despite taking nine days off throughout the month due to one reason or another, the Lord was gracious and gave me enough words to make it through.

Otherwise, through the month, we held a fun birthday party/cookout for one of my brothers, I was away for seven days (one a three-day trip to the North Island—I must share some pictures from that!), and some friends of ours moved down into our area.

Day 20: When things really started to get serious on the writing front.

It was a lovely month, overall. I’m so grateful to have been able to write again. I write a little each day, a habit I’ve tried to develop just to keep my writing “muscles” toned somewhat and hopefully grow as a writer, but I feel like you can grow a lot more as a writer by doing more all at once.

I’ve had a hard time even explaining to myself why I wanted to do NaNo so much. Part of it, I know, is the camaraderie—the knowing that thousands of other people around the world are trying to reach the same goal you’re aiming for, many succeeding, but others falling back. Part of it is the sense of accomplishment—the feeling that you actually got somewhere in that short amount of time. And part is the creative challenge, although that’s the hardest. Sitting down each day and pouring your heart and soul into the story takes far more energy than I’d ever expect.

But it’s so worthwhile. I don’t feel myself growing as a writer from one scene to the next, or chapter to the next, or really even one story to the next—but I know I am. Little by little, I’m getting better. Info-dumping scenes are occuring a little less often and I’m experimenting with adding a bit more description, bringing a bit more color with words and characters and dialogue.

It’s not easy.

But it’s worth it.

And I hope the experience can continue far beyond NaNo this year! I haven’t been writing as much in December, but I am still averaging higher daily wordcounts than normal, which is nice. Even so, I’m looking forward to (maybe next month? or February?) when I can do something like this again. 1,667 words per day aren’t that difficult—a couple of hours, max—and the way the story comes together so much better when you invest that daily time really makes it worthwhile.

What have you been working on lately? If you’re a writer, have you ever done a writing challenge before? If not, what was your favorite part of your November?

*NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month; a writing challenge that runs through the month of November with the goal of ending the month with 50,000 words or more written in a new book.

Book Review: A Cross to Kill

December 11, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

11 Dec

Hello, friends! I’m back after an extended, yet unintended, hiatus! I’ll have to tell you about my November sometime soon…it was quite the month!

Well, today I have a special treat. Or shall we say, I’m sharing a book that was a special treat to me? I’ve been enjoying some great mysteries lately—just started one this morning, in fact—but I read one back in November that I ended up really enjoying. Not all of it was my favorite, but overall it was great. If you’ve ever read and enjoyed any thriller or suspense novels, I’d suspect you would like it. But first, here’s the back cover copy.

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. They help support this blog, at no added expense to you. Thank you! Also, I was given a free review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of the work.

About the Book:

John Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God’s calling. He’s not the sort of man one would expect to have a checkered past.

But the truth is that the man behind the pulpit preaching to his sheep was once a wolf—an assassin for the CIA. When John decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to pay penance for all the lives he took. He vowed never to kill again.

Now someone wants the peaceful pastor to pay for his sins with his own life. And when a terrorist out for revenge walks into the church, John’s secrets are laid bare. Confronted with his past, he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow–even when the people he loves are in mortal danger? Will his congregation and the brave woman he’s learning to care for be caught in the cross fire? In the end, his death may be the only sacrifice he has left to offer . . .

Andrew Huff’s thrilling debut is not only a riveting story of suspense, it’s also a deep exploration of the moral quandaries that face those who choose to follow the Prince of Peace in a violent world.

Read the first two chapters, provided by Kregel, by clicking here.

What I Thought:

I really enjoyed A Cross to Kill! During November, I had a lot going on and not a lot of time to read, so with what time I did have, I wanted something fun and engaging. This book fit that criterion perfectly, and I found myself sucked in right away. I enjoyed it so much that I told my brother about it, and he, too, ended up reading the book. I thought it would be fun for you to hear what he had to think about it, so I’ll share his review below.

I felt like this story had some great themes about trying to hold to our convictions and honor the Lord, while still delivering an engaging story. Some parts were unbelievable for me, and I definitely would not want to watch this as a movie, but seeing the main character trying to do what was right was great. The gospel message also came through here, which I appreciated. I don’t know if I would want to read the sequel to the story, because of the amount of violence in here (that was the one part I didn’t enjoy that much), but the mystery and characters and story plotting in general were all superb. If you’re looking for a gripping, fast-paced ride with Christian themes, check this out.

As I mentioned before, I requested a free review copy of this book, and that is the copy both of us read. 🙂

And now, for Elijah’s thoughts (thank you, Elijah!):

Recently my older sister told me about a book that she was reading at the time, giving it high acclaim. “An adventure novel” was her label, and so A Cross to Kill turned out to be.

John Cross, a former CIA member, now pastors a small out of the way congregation belonging to the Rural Grove Baptist Church. The congregation believes that he lost a good government job and that is why he became a pastor, but the truth is that he was one of the CIA’s top field operatives. He still does some work for the CIA, but he desperately wishes to bury most of what he has done deep in the past. All this starts to change with the very last mission he does for the CIA, rescuing an American reporter who was about to be executed by terrorists in Turkey. Though utmost secrecy was kept about the whole matter, Christine Luis remembers too much about her near-death experience and seeks out her savior. When they meet, they realize that there are evil plots afoot, endangering themselves and many of those around them. Can they uncover the truth in time to save the lives of many others? And what about Cross’ past—can he hide his lie to his congregation forever?

When I first heard about the book, I wasn’t too excited about it. But that changed over the course of the first few chapters. The pace started fast and rarely slowed down throughout the book. There were many points I appreciated. Though it doesn’t give a theological explanation in the book, Cross made a stand against killing. Similarly, it doesn’t tell the gospel message as such, but it shows the result of turning to Christ; seeking forgiveness for wrongdoing and a complete turnaround from the old man to the new.

I did not agree with the stand taken in the book on several levels. First of all, after his conversion, he repressed his conscience at several points in the story as far as “borrowing” cars went in order to get to where he needed to go. Another thing I would like to mention is his level of violence. He would not go so far as killing someone—or so he told himself. But a point that was brought out in another book I read recently was that “the road to gross sins is walked with small steps.” Like I mentioned before, he had made a vow against killing which I respect (as much as one can when referring to a fictitious story!) but I still do not like the lead in that direction taken in the story. As a final point, I didn’t appreciate the position of pastor he took in the light that he was just a new Christian. 1 Timothy 3:6 speaks on this subject. I believe that it clearly states that a young believer should not be put in a position of authority in the church. This is a general point, I will admit, not a blanket statement. If a new believer has matured enough in their Christian life I see no problem with him taking the position of pastor. But godly caution should be exercised and I personally think Cross took the position too early in his Christian life.

I appreciate that though he lived a lie throughout the story, he faced up to the truth when it did come out. And the congregation showed a good attitude when they accepted his apology and forgave him.

I was impressed with the story overall. The weaving of the story-lines is masterful and (if you are like me) as soon as you start the book, you won’t want to put it down until you have finished it.

Buy your own copy here, or…

Enter the Giveaway!

A Cross to Kill tour and giveaway

There is a giveaway going on right now, too! Enter below for your own chance at a copy of this story.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’m looking forward to getting back to writing more regularly again! It seems like far too long. For now, what are you reading or have been reading lately? I’ve read some other great books the last while besides this one, so hopefully I can share them with you soon, too!

The Springtime of Joy (Poem)

October 21, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · 2 Comments

21 Oct

It was beautiful, down the valley,
Where the wild gorse grows,
Beautiful in the sunshine,
Where the river’s current flows.

Beautiful in the splendor
Of a clear springy day,
Beautiful as the willow brush
The fresh wind did play.

But deep within the beauty,
Where no eye has ever seen,
Lay the sorrow of a winter,
The drought before the spring.

For once upon a mountain,
The place wilderness only knows,
There lay a pall of darkness
Under winter’s heavy snows.

Cold winds did lash her,
Frigid temperatures in the dark,
And, stumbling, in the gloaming,
Her heart was torn apart.

But now spring has brought her
Out of winter into light,
And the place that once was barren
Now blooms from what was night.

Those who heard her sighing
In the darkness of the past
Are now singing and rejoicing
At the light that’s come at last.

So join with me in praising
If the darkness lingers yet,
For beyond the wings of sorrow
Lies a path to joys unmet.

Dedicated to those who have walked the valley of sorrow, whatever it may be. It’s only the beginning, for beyond the winter, there is the new hope of spring!

Book Haul!

October 17, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · 2 Comments

17 Oct

Several weeks ago, perhaps a month ago now, one of my brothers came home from examining the “treasures” at our local green dump (read green very loosely; that’s what it’s supposed to be, anyway!), and told me there were some old books left there. One was even an old fairy tale book! A day or two later, I took my normal walk around the block, and then we stopped to look at the books. What a treasure trove! If I had known what there was, I would have gone down earlier—but even so, I am pretty tickled with what they found!

The one of the most interest to me was an old 1880s or 1890s copy of Dr. Chase’s Last Receipt Book and Household Physician. I had never seen a book quite like this before, and there are some interesting recipes in here as well as some fascinating (if not scary!) advice. It’s also interesting to see some of the “new” ideas mentioned here, such as the discovery that milk keeps better if it’s chilled down in ice as soon as it has been milked out—what an amazing invention! 🙂

The top is captioned “A Modern Dairy Scene”. Left bottom is the “recent” Swedish discovery (that is really Yankee!), and right bottom is a method to make butter in hot weather…which I think would make some foul-tasting butter!

Also of interest was an old self-pronouncing dictionary. I was sad that the front cover and front pages are missing, but it’s still interesting to look through the definitions.

I love the old page ends on this one!

Then there’s Lily at her Grandmama’s, a delightful old-style picture book, and Northland Heroes written by the author of Haiawatha and containing a story of Beowolf as well as at least one other old story. The “fairy tale book” ended up being a newer (1950s) reprinting of Alice in Wonderland—I’m looking forward to reading this; I’ve been wanting to for a long time! And another newer book called The Whole Person in a Broken World (an interesting title, at least!), which promises to be good if I ever sit down to read it.

Far right-top: “Waltham School Standard 2 A. Special Prize Awarded to Mavis Palmer for Neatness.”

I just love the illustrations in Lily at her Grandmama’s!:

“…He has entangled his line in the tree, and I do believe he has caught the hook in his own finger.”

The other three books I got that day were not quite as interesting to me, but a friend of mine is interested in them—an old Latin Lessons book, a Latin Primer, and Henri Bué First French Book! Unfortunately, I never learned anything about either French or Latin, but I have a friend who has studied both and taught her daughter elements of both languages, and she’s interested in taking them into her own collection.

We gathered all the books we could find, and stuffed them into a reusable yellow shopping bag to carry home. It’s funny how you forget how heavy some things can be—and books must be among the heaviest!—but thankfully it wasn’t too far to haul them home. 🙂

The day after our dump find, then, a bag of several different books was given to us, and at the bottom of the stack was a very old English Bible! It was printed in 1855, and Mom surmised that it must have made a trip across the ocean in the bottom of someone’s sea chest at some stage. There are fascinating old documents in here—I’ll include a few pictures for you.

“Arthur Hayworth. From his affectionate Mother. Surfolk(?), June 8th, 1868.”

Left: A prayer to be prayed in England and Wales, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed (isn’t that a neat name!?) on 12th August, 1866, because of the cholera and cattle plague. Top right: Several sheets of hymns for gospel services. Bottom right: A Sunday School paper, with the front page a picture of Greenlanders.

In all, this was quite the book haul, and I’m quite pleased about some of the finds we have. Keep your precious old books. You never know what a treasure they might be for the next generation!

What’s the oldest book you have ever owned? Have you rescued books from a dump before?