February 15, 2013

  • Childhood Books Revisited

    I cannot quite recall how it happened, but I think I somehow came across the movie at the library. The title sounded vaguely familiar, so I read the back and discovered that the film was based on a book series I had read when I was younger. One Christmas my grandmother had given me two books from the series, the fifth and the eighth, and though I read them I wasn't too impressed --though this might have something to do with the fact that I hate reading books out of order or that it wasn't the genre I preferred at that age. Even though it was a juvenile movie I got out it out anyways due to sheer curiosity.

    While it was definitely "indie" I quite liked the film, for all the odd camera work and obvious lack of funding. I hadn't read the book the movie was based on, so I got the first five books from the online library. Yes, though I own the fifth book it is buried in boxes in the basement and I wasn't up to looking for them when I could just get volume 1 of the collection as an ebook. I don't think this has ever happened, but the movie's changes made for a better plot than the book had *gasp* I was ever so disappointed by the book not living up to the expectation the film created --the plot was far more lackluster and the writing style wasn't at all impressive. 

    Nevertheless, I persevered and continued to read the second novel. It wasn't much better but did show improvement, so I read the third and fourth and fifth... by then I was hooked. I reserved all the books I could find at the local library --the ebook library not having any others-- and I just cannot stop reading them. There is one of the series that I really, really want to read but cannot find anywhere, not even the bookstore. I am ever so tempted to ask friends in other towns if their ebook library selection has it and borrow their card number so I can read that novel *L0L*

    I now want to buy all the books so that I'll have the series and can pass them on to my (future) daughter. One thing that really stood out to me was something that the main character always said whenever she was afraid --since she constantly got into scrapes involving kidnappers, collapsing mines, being lost in the woods, etc it was often-- which is a verse from the Bible: What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee."  It made me think that I don't often enough put my trust in God; I'm always too busy trying to find my own way that I forget to pray. 

    At my bible study on monday the leader said that we should all start a journal recording our daily time with God. She wants us to spend five to fifteen minutes a day in prayer and reading our Bible. I am horrible at reading from the word, getting bored quite quickly with it as horrible as that sounds. For some reason I just cannot get into the words written there like I can with novels --perhaps it is the writing style? I find I get more out of inspirational novels, such as this one, that has a moral based on a verse rather than reading straight from the Word. I have prayed about that, but haven't seen any changes in me so perhaps this is just the way I'm meant to learn...

    If you are wondering just what books I am talking about, it is the Mandie books by Lois Gladys Leppard. Have you ever read any of those books or know someone who has?

    SUMR