Ignorant Historian

I’ve heard it before by both adults and youth: “Classics are HARD!” Yes, they require some work. People of yesteryear weren’t accustomed to the instant entertainment we think is normal. They were willing to put in a little work…and benefited from it because of it. We can, too!

I think part of the problem is the common misconception that classics are stuffy and somber. Some are, sure, but many are actually quite light and funny once you get past the dusty cover.

Here are the top 10 classics I’d recommend to a newbie. There are others that are my favorites, but they’re not necessarily the most accessible. For instance, I didn’t put Tom Jones, Atlas Shrugged, or anything by a  Russian author on this list, as much as I might like them.

For the sake of this list, I’ll use the word “classic” to mean any book written before 1950. Of course, just because a book is old doesn’t make it good, but if you’ve heard of it, there’s a good chance there’s a reason that it has stood the test of time.

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

There are two 5th grade girls in my life I’m trying to get to read this. I think many adult women have loved and read it, but if you haven’t, you should. It is incredibly easy to get into, and you immediately come to love the characters. I listen to the audio every year or so.

2. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

I really do enjoy Dickens, but he can be a bit much. I tend to find his ramblingness funny, but many just find it annoying. But if you’re going to try Dickens for the first time, this is a good place to start. And though we’ve come to think of Oliver Twist as a children’s story, the book was definitely not written for children.

3. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Though this falls under my definition of “classic,” I hardly think of it in those terms. Still, I really enjoy it, especially in audio form. Actually, I recommend all classics in their audio versions.

I’m not sure why I like this so much considering I can’t stand Scarlett or Rhett. Perhaps it’s such an interesting picture of where we get when we allow our selfish desires to rule us.

4. Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier

I only first read this this past fall. I’ve had it on my shelf for years and just knew I would love it, and I did.

5. House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

This is one of my favorite classics of all time, and it’s probably for some of the same reasons why I love Gone with the Wind.

6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Okay, this is a bit cliché, but there is a reason why Jane Austen is popular today: we relate. If you’ve not seen any of the movies, I’d actually rather recommend Sense and Sensibility, but if you’ve seen Pride and Prejudice, it’d be easier to get into the book.

For a teen, though, I’d recommend Northanger Abbey as their first Jane Austen.

7. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This book is so perfect in its simplicity about a simpler era. It’s easy to see how it was popular during WWII when people wanted an escape.

8. 1984 by George Orwell

Okay, so this is one of my all-time favorite classics, too. Also a frequent re-read. I’ve probably read it a half dozen times, and only this last time was I able to keep myself from tears when listening to the end.

9. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I think the fact that the Frankenstein monster is in popular culture would make this a bit more accessible, but the book is probably nothing like what you’d expect. I hesitated putting it on this list, but I still think it’s a fairly comfortable place to start with the classics though it can get a bit bogged down in the details.

10. The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton

It’s been a couple years so I can’t exactly remember why I enjoyed it so much, but I know I did. As classics go, it’s not too long and it’s a bit more contemporary which makes it easier. This is high on my “to re-read” list, but I’m having a harder time since my library doesn’t have the audio of it.

For more top ten lists, visit Broke and Bookish

It’s been a couple of months since I’ve updated my status on my 30 Before 30 goals. That’s probably because unemployment hasn’t been much of an impetus to get to work on these goals, though it could have been. Oh well, it’s a new year!

I now have completed finished 8 goals, which isn’t bad at all. At this point, there is only 1 that I think won’t happen as I’ve had to alter my financial goals somewhat. Other than that, I think everything is quite doable!

Here is my goal update as of December 31st:

1. Read the Bible twice through. 630/2378 chapters = 26.5%

3. Lose 50 pounds. /50 pounds = 6/50 = 12%

Yeah, the holidays and general busyness wasn’t good for this.

5. Publish The Journal. Completed 12/26/2011

6. __________. (find a new job) Completed 12/28/2011

9. Read 160 books. 39/160 = 24%

I’m a little behind on this goal, but I have no doubt I’ll get there. Just blame crocheting and general laziness for a poor reading month in December.

10. Read 5 classics. 3/5 = 60%

Yay for audiobooks, otherwise I wouldn’t be this far. Now that I’ll be employed I won’t be listening to audiobooks as much, but surely I can get in two more classics this year.

12. Work a polling place during an election. Completed 10/11/2011

15. Sell 100 copies of The Journal. 2/100 = 2%

I’m grateful for every copy that I sell! And I only had it for sale for 6 days as of this update.

16. Make an author website. Completed 12/20/2011

17. Fast 16 days. 1/16 = 6%

I wish I had taken advantage of my unemployment to fast and didn’t just get caught up in the busyness. Still want to work this into my life regularly.

19. Spend time on Yom Kippur fasting, praying, and thinking. Completed 10/7/2011

20. Decorate my apartment for Christmas. Completed 11/25/2011

I really enjoyed doing this one! Now I just have to undecorate…

21. Meet my niece. Completed 12/27/2011

By far the most satisfying “check” on this list.

22. Write in my journal 100 times. 46/100 = 46%

I’ll soon have this finished as I’ve committed to writing in my journal every day in 2011. So far, I have!

23. Make a baby blanket for Bean. Completed 11/9/2011

24. Have an empty to-read shelf.

It was really almost empty and then Christmas happened. Love that. Will finish what’s left before December!

I’m having a hard time keeping up with this blog not because I don’t have anything to say (will there ever be a day when that’s true!), but because I’m only on the computer 2 hours a week or so. If it wasn’t for the fact that I frequent Twitter and Facebook on my phone multiple times a day, this would be admirable.

So here are some post ideas rattling around my head. Let me know which interest you. Perhaps it’ll motivate me to put the time into pulling them together.

Potential blog posts:

“Our” money

Getting ready for employment

Choosing food over God

Why the downfall of marriage in America might not be such a bad thing

Unemployment and depression

Why we’re losing our children

Feel free to also suggest topics you’d like me to address!

Congrats, Carrie, for winning the gift card and to David, Erin, and Laura for winning my book!

I’ve already contacted the winners, but don’t despair…you’re a winner, too! Right now Amazon and Barnes & Noble have The Journal for sale for $8.63! I don’t know how much longer it’ll be this cheap, so I’d snatch it up now!

If the ebook is more your style, enter the coupon code “RE59G” when checking out from Smashwords and you can get it for $2.99.

I was a little distracted last week to post on this topic when it was an official Top Ten Tuesday. No matter, I can talk about it today!

I read 134 books in 2011. These are my favorite 10 books that I read for the first time in 2011:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

I can’t believe I waited so long to read these books. This was my favorite, I think (it’s been a few months). I’ll be re-listening to them again this spring/summer and I’m excited to do it.

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling

This is either my fave or 2nd fave HP book…will figure that out this spring.

3. My Heart in His Hands: Ann Judson of Burma by Sharon L. James

I highly recommend this biography. It will definitely deserve a re-read at some point.

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

An excellent book by someone whose name is so similar to mine. Wish I wrote as well as she did…

5. Prodigal God by Tim Keller

I really liked this that I instantly wanted to read everything he’s written.

6. Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper

I’ve had this for years…took way too long to read it.

7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I’ve been wanting to read this classic for years and finally did. So glad!

8. The Christian Imagination edited by Leland Ryken

This probably wins the title for being the book that had me change my thinking the most.

9. Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick

I’m still implementing what I learned in this book.

10. In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson

As a book that simply speaks the Gospel, this is the type of book that I want to regularly be reading.

I received a lot of books for Christmas which adds to my reading excitement!

I really hope that The Journal is on your list of top ten books you’re excited to read about this year. If it is (or even if it’s not!) check out the giveaway where you can enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

My book reading doesn’t follow closely to when books actually come out. There are very few authors that I just have to have their latest, and those aren’t usually the type that come out with a new book every 6 months. That’s why most of these books have been out for a while. Regardless, these are the top 10 books I want to read right now:

 1. Die Young: Burying Your Self in Christ by Hayley and Michael DiMarco

I have a review copy of this that I hope to get to any day. It looks really good.

2. The Shackled Continent: Power, Corruption, and African Lives by Robert Guest

I have this on my Nook from the library, so I hope to get to it very soon.

3. Counterfeit Gods  by Timothy Keller

Ever since I read Prodigal God this fall, I’ve been wanting to read more from him.

4. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

I’m going to get this from the library for my Nook soon.

5. Earthen Vessels by Matthew Lee Anderson

My view of the physical body has definitely not been biblical, so trying to explore the idea more.

6. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Okay, this one is actually coming out in 2012, and I’m excited for it! 

7. Relationships: a Mess Worth Making by Timothy A. Lane and Paul David Tripp

I think this will be a good read to help me think more clearly about what it means to live in community with others.

8. Crossed by Ally Condie

I hope to get this in audio, though I did read a paper copy of the first.

9. Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper

It’d be no surprise to most people that I’d want to think rightly about thinking.

10. Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God by Paul David Tripp

You can never read enough Paul Tripp. I actually got this audiobook for Christmas from a dear friend. I laughed at first (look at the subtitle), but this book will be good for me right now as I face some life changes as well as a resource as I minister to others.

I get some sort of guilty pleasure out of using poor grammar in a post title about my novel. But still, the question stands, do you want to win my book?

To celebrate the launch of The Journal, I have decided to host a little giveaway here. I’ll be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card (which could always be used to purchase The Journal, of course), as well as 3 hard copies of my book (a total of 4 winners).

Would you like to win? Simply leave a comment on this post (make sure you enter your email address!). Extra entries may be earned by posting about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or a public blog (1 extra entry each) as well as for downloading a free sample of The Journal in your preferred format from Smashwords (1 extra entry). Total possible entries per person is 5. If you’ve earned an extra entry, leave a separate comment for each letting me know.

This contest is open until Friday, January 6th at 11 PM Eastern.

Legalese:

No purchase is necessary to enter this giveaway. All entrants must be U.S. residents, ages 18 years or older, and must provide a valid email address along with their entry comment.

The odds of winning a Sweepstakes is dependent on the number of entries. Winners will be selected randomly by Ronnica using http://random.org and have 48 hours to claim their prize after email notification. If a potential prize winner forfeits or does not claim a prize, the prize will be re-awarded, at Ronnica’s sole discretion.

Any entries received after 11 PM Eastern 1/16/2012 will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. All winners must be willing to furnish a valid shipping address in order to receive a prize.

Remember that interview I asked you to pray for a couple of weeks ago?

Well, I got it. :-)

From the beginning, it just felt right. It wasn’t a job that I was looking for, but an opportunity that fell in my lap. One of my Twitter friends suggested I look at the jobs her workplace had posted, and I did. A few days later I was doing a phone interview, and within the week, I had an in-person interview as well. After another interview and some time enjoying my family, they offered me the job.

I’ll be doing customer support for a growing technology company. Perhaps I’m a bit of a nerd, but answering techy questions all day sounds wonderful. I love the atmosphere of the company, and it has been voted one of the best places to work in the Triangle as well as nationally.

I start January 23rd, so I have a few weeks to get all the little things finished up and enjoy my last days of freedom. I’m thankful for my unemployment and how it has stretched me, but I’m ready for new challenges and opportunities.

Last night baby “Bean” was born, making me an aunt! She weighed 7 lb 5 oz and is 19 inches long.

My parents and I will be going to visit her and the proud parents this afternoon…can’t wait!