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If I could kiss Ingrid Hahn I would! There are legitimately no words to describe how happy her hero made me in this novel. Despite some of his stupid actions due to his hurt pride, it was refreshing to find a male in a historical romance put faith in his wife and defend her. Not because he is in love with her or because she his wife, but because he truly believes the opposing party was wrong. Seriously. Bless you Hahn.

But moving on, I enjoyed this novel as a whole. There were certain things that aggravated me like the male lead not being able to see past his hurt pride at times. But their love can naturally rather the forced. It was a delight to read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
  
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
1977 | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
1977's other great fantasy movie is somewhat forgotten, relatively speaking, probably because it wasn't franchised to death. Scientist Francois Truffaut and everyman Richard Dreyfuss both become aware of the impending visitation of alien beings, must decide how to react.

Not really much of an SF movie, strictly speaking, but it works brilliantly as a both a thriller-drama and a fantasy film. Always seems to me to be a film about what it means to find faith and surrender yourself to it: ordinary guy Roy finds the transcendental and unknown inserting itself into his life, finds himself becoming devoted to it, willing to sacrifice everything to it. Great performances from the leads, but it's really Spielberg's film, containing some of his neatest moments of directorial legerdemain. Still one of Spielberg's most iconic movies, 40+ years on.
  
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
1971 | Classics, Comedy, Drama
Anti-semitic pogroms in the Russian pale don't sound like the stuff of fabulous family entertainment, but this is one of the last truly classic movie musicals. Lovable Jewish milkman Tevye finds the ground shifting under his feet as his daughters begin to reject the husbands he has arranged for them, marry for love, and even consider romance with people of other faiths. Is nothing sacred any more?

Performed with great gusto by a rather eclectic cast, but it's Topol's ebullient performance that carries the movie along, keeping the audience firmly on Tevye's side even when his faith forces him into some harsh choices. Some heartbreakingly lovely songs, although the downbeat trajectory of the movie (opening in a hopeful spring and concluding in a winter of bitter misery) may be slightly off-putting for some. A heartfelt and very moving film.
  
Dare to Be Kind by Lizzie Velasquez is an inspirational story. Lizzie has a rare skin condition that has subjected her to bullying and being mistreated. this book is about treating others with compassion and how it can transform your heart into a better person which can lead to a better world for us. 

Velasquez encourages bravery, hope, kindness, personal resilience, faith in a higher power, and a healthy self-image when confronting one's bullies. She also highlights the need to serve as a good example for one's family, understand a bully's desire to cover their own pain with more pain, finding love and support, and addresses the cruelty of human nature when it encounters situations that it doesn't understand or have empathy toward.

I received this book from Hachette Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
TK
The Karamazov Brothers
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017
Category: Russian Classic

This book took me a little while to get into, but once I got through the first few chapters, I was hooked! This is a long, philosophically dense book, but do not let that deter you. It is anything, but boring, and it will make you think. The main conflict in the novel is Faith vs Doubt. The characters are so dynamic that I believed they were real people. Definitely take your time reading this one. I read it in two months, and there is so much to it that I want to read it again. I think I will read a different translation every time. I actually regret that I can't read it in Russian. I would love to experience this novel in it's original glory.
  
I adore reading Christmas books! I think I may have mentioned that a few times this year. I love the time of year and reading books specifically centered around winter and Christmas just makes everything more special. This collection of Christmas novellas is a great way to boost the Christmas spirit. Full of faith, romance, and all things Christmas.

From Wyoming to Washington, you will be swept off your feet as these couples conquer the odds and true love prevails.

Snuggle up in your favorite reading spot with a blanket and mug of your favorite steaming beverage (if you have a fireplace, even better), and get lost in the mountains of the west.

I received a copy of Mountain Christmas Brides from Carrie Turansky as a gift. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
Could have been really interesting, but it didn't work. It was too superficial and there were too many errors - some of them fairly elementary. If an author is trying to tell you that Elizabeth I was the niece of Mary I and that Jonathan Swift wrote Robinson Crusoe (although weirdly, later in the book the author is correctly identified as Daniel Defoe - not sure if it makes things better or worse!) then you can't put much faith in what else has been written. In other cases we are given stories to then be told that the use of the word/phrase precedes the aforementioned anecdote by however many years!

I think an approach on theme (mythology, science & maths etc) might have worked than just an alphabetical listing too, but the dip-in type of book can be quite popular in some quarters.