Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want To Live In

This week's Top Ten Tuesday revolves around worlds that we would NEVER want to live in, or characters you'd never want to trade places with. With all the dystopian and post-apocalyptic stuff out there right now, it's not too hard to pick a few.

1. I would definitely not want to live in Jill Williamson's Safe Lands. People are dying of a plague, where the government controls and knows everything, there is forced surrogacy and to top it all off its a place  where pleasure is everything! 

2. Know I would REALLY REALLY not want to be in Spokie. The Swipe Series is a post-apocalyptic book so first of all I would have missed the rapture (enough said there), I would be forced to get the mark of the beast or die, and find out that the world you live in and those around you are not what you knew and trusted them to be.

3. To put it in that perspective I wouldn't want to be in Beacon, or the A.U. or E.U. any where DOME is in control. 

4. The State is an underground world, ruled by scientists, that prohibit emotions and everyone is basically brainwashed to do what they are told... or else. (Anomaly)

5. The Jason Farm!!!! One word CLONES!!! 

6. I would hate to live in the town (forgot the name) where the Inner Society rules. These perfect looking, over-achiever, super rich, teens are basically genetically mapped children who know feel entitled to everything and will do anything to make those from the outside leave! 

7. Its America or is it? Nothing works, cars, watches, water, credit cards. Is it a terrorist attack, or is the world ending, we don't know. Everyone is desperate and especially the Killer who stalks the Branning family's neighborhood. 

8. Michael Hosea!!! Redeeming Love is a retelling of the Biblical story Hosea and Gomer, so that man goes through a lot of pain. I do not think I could survive emotionally all the things he went through, I mean WOW. 

9. Anything Holocaust related. I love reading WW2 novels admiring the characters bravery, but I do not think I could survive such awful cruelties. 

10. The Titanic is grand and all, but anytime I think of the painful and slow deaths those people faced... I wouldn't trade places for anything!!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Reading Wish-list

Today I'm linking with: The Broke and the Bookish

Today's topic: Top Ten Things On My Reading Wishlist (if you could make authors write about these things you would. Could be a specific type of character, an issue tackled, a time period, a certain plot, etc.)

1. A sequel to Allison's Pittman's Sister Wife series. I mean seriously who ever heard of a two book series. This story needs an end that will finally end this great series. I think a little birdie told me she did not make enough sales that the publishers did not deem it profitable to make another:( Really guys go and read the series!!!!!

2. No more Insta-love. I do not believe in love at first sight. How can you possibly love anyone from just a glance. You do not know his morals, values, personality how can you make such a decision to actually marry them!

3. Where the guy doesn't get the girl. This would be EPIC!

4. After the 'happily ever after'. After the guy gets the girl we never know what happens after. What challenges do they face as a new couple...?

5. No more obvious couples. I have literally opened a book and after reading a few pages will already know who marries whom. I would love for it to be a bit less obvious. Bodie Thoene has done a great job at that, but she is the exception:) 

6. Characters with real-life flaws and where they get addressed. So many authors make a perfect characters that does not relate to us. Sarah Sundin's Wings of Glory series was a great example of this!

7. No more perfect looking girls. Really! Everyone has perfect curls, shiny hair, a color eye that is indescribable, musical laugh etc, come on authors! Make average main characters, please!!!! Where their curly hair actually gets frizzy...

8. No Romance. What about that for a change. Some books not romance geared throw in one just for the sake, you really don't have to.

9. A trilogy with the same person. This way the author can really develop the character, where we can see growth, and a true romance that doesn't happen in a mere books length of time.

10. A YA in a Historical setting. Now how cool would that be!!!!

No Heat Curls

Book Review- Outcasts

Outcasts is the second installment to the Safe Lands Series written by Jill Williamson. Her love for working with teens is clearly evident in her writing. She writes Christian fiction for teens that deal with some prevalent issues all the while keeping it fun and way out of this world.  

Continuing straight from book one, we catch up with the Glencrock people as they struggle to remain true to their faith in the midst of the governments control and worldliness. Remaining to  Jill's eccentric writing style we are thrust into a world of fast paced mysterious plot--yet with a totally new twist. Unlike most YA books Jill added deeper messages that touch the hearts of todays youth. She dealt with topics of guilt, resisting temptation, the snares instant gratification create, living for a higher purpose, and the need of hope. She addressed these topics through Biblical perspectives keeping it very spiritual and easy to apply. 

The Characters were more developed in this book than in the previous allowing one to connect closer. They each had very different yet realistic characteristics that added a deeper dimension to the story. Because there are four different points of view you are able to see the full perspective to the events happening in the story. 

Outcasts does include mature subjects such as drug and sexual addiction and forced surrogacy, so I would recommend this book to mature teens and up.

Needless to say Outcasts was a great continuation, if not an even better one, to the series. I can not wait to get my hands on the next book and continue my journey in the Safe Lands. 

I received a complimentary copy, from BookSneeze in exchange for this independent and unbiased review. 

H E L L O 2 0 1 4

Like everyone else I've set some New Year's resolutions. I was commenting to Kianna about wether she was ready to set an absorbent amount of unrealistic goal for the upcoming new year, we then proceeded  to discuss how unlike previous years we wanted to set doable goals this year. Over on her blog you can see the her super doable, yet challenging goals. 

This year I decided to set 5 broad goals and then each month I would set smaller goals to help achieve the overall goal. Inspired by Hannah I've decided to do a monthly resolution check up on the blog, so stay tune for those. Without further ado my 2014 goals:

1. Read the Bible 1x- In 2012 I read the Bible three times, and for the following year I was burnt out. From my whopping 3x victory in 2012 I couldn't even finish it once this year! So though seemingly easy this is a goal my heart desires to do. 

2. Get Fit- This consists of exercising, walking, running, possibly trying rollerblading, and drinking water.

3. Cultivate my Relationships- with God, as a daughter, sister, and friend. 

4. Improve my work ethic- That can mean anything from doing all my work on to the Lord, homeschool, chores- to being an intentional and wise steward of my money, but most importantly learning to be a servant. 

5. Work on my talents- Sometime last year, my mom made us name three things we enjoy doing or would like to do in the near future. I chose tinkering with imovie, card making, and alterations. These are all things I would like to work on and improve. I would love to learn something new, learn an instrument of sort, continue with calligraphy, and most importantly use what the Lord gave me and not be the wicked servant who does nothing with his talent. 

Top 13 Books of 2013

Here is a list of my top ten favorite books for this past year. It was way too hard to put them in an order of most favorite to least. But I think I can safely say that Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers was hands down my favorite this year. (I'll be posting a review later...)

Anomaly by Krista Mcgee Captives- Jill Williamson 

Back Before Dark- Tim Shoemaker Chasing Jupiter- Rachel Coker

Redeeming Love- Francine Rivers Sweet Sanctuary- Kim Vogel Sawyer

The Offering- Angela Hunt The Return of Cassandra Todd

Last Light- Terri Blackstock Shattered- Dani Pettrey

Drum Rolllll....
My favorite series this year was the Swipe Series by Evan Angler!

Bye 2013 - Hi 2014

During the Christmas rush and New Years excitement we can focus on presents, goals, and just plain ole holiday rush. Though we say with our mouths that Jesus is the reason for the season, we somehow don't always live that out.

This year my family and I started a new New Years Eve-Day tradition. We each were to choose a gift and Bible verse that represented what the Lord had done in our life, and/or something the Lord ministered our hearts with.  At times I wasn't super committed to my daily devotions and more than once felt stagnant spiritually. I felt that this year was a year that I was just grateful to have persevered in the Faith. My verse was "... let us then persevere in the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b My gift was a hand weight to signify the perseverance an athlete/runner shows in his exercise and an itunes gift card because who doesn't listen to music while working out. 

On Tuesday, New Years Eve, we  each drew names and gave our gift to the person we drew up. The second part of our tradition occurred on New Years Day. We were once again given the task to choose a verse and buy a gift, but for what we wanted the new year to represent and/or what we wanted to declare over someone else's life. 

I gave a gift with the intention of working on this for my personal life, without even knowing that someone was going to mention it in our church as a word of edification! I chose Galatians 6:7-9 "A man reaps what he sows..." This year I want to work on cultivating my relationships with God, and as a daughter, sister, and friend. 

The focus of this tradition is not the gift, but instead serves as a memorial before our family to what the Lord has done in each of us this past year.