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kailey_luminouslibro
Adopting The Minimalist Mindset: How To Live With Less, Downsize, And Get More Fulfillment From Life
This is a collection of random facts about Harry Potter books, JK Rowling, and the HP movies. Interesting little tidbits, but most of them I already knew.
Laura has taken a job teaching a school at the Brewster's claim. Mrs. Brewster is sullen and rude, and some of Laura's students are actually older than her. Laura does her best to teach the school, but she is miserable at the Brewster's house. Laura wishes she could go home at least for the weekends, but the snow and ice would make for too long of a drive across the prairie. But Almanzo Wilder shows up to drive her home in his new cutter with sleigh bells ringing! Laura begins to understand that Almanzo is interested in courting her, and she isn't sure how she feels about that.
This was always my favorite of the Little House books when I was a girl because of the sweet romance. with Almanzo. I was also inspired by the chapters with Laura teaching school. Although it was a very difficult situation, she figured out a way to inspire her students to love learning, and she gained their respect even though they were the same age as her or older.
All through the Little House books, Laura describes her happy family, how they work together, play and sing together, and how they trust and love each other. After seeing the misery in the Brewster house, Laura comes home and truly appreciates for the first time just how lovely her family is. She is filled with gratitude for their kindness and quiet ways, after having to endure the rudeness and shouting at the Brewster's.
I love the scenes with Mary coming home from college. You can feel the joy of the whole family on each page! We get to see how Mary has gained confidence and skills despite her blindness, but she has not forgotten her family during her years away from home, and she blends right back into their home life without any awkwardness. I especially like the scenes when Mary and Laura open up to each other and connect on a deeper level than they did as children. Now they are both young women, and they can relate to each other as adults. They open their hearts to one another as sisters, knowing they will find understanding and love.
There are some very excited scenes as Almanzo is breaking in a pair of colts to pull a buggy, and Laura goes with him on long drives across the prairie. But the colts won't behave, and they gallop and rear and pull against the reins! Laura even takes a turn driving them, and you can tell that Almanzo is impressed with her courage.
I love that Almanzo takes Laura to a singing school, so that they can sing in a youth choir together. He notices that her whole family loves to sing along with Pa's fiddle, and that Laura often sings on their drives together, so he knows that this is something she will enjoy. I love how thoughtful he is!
Overall, there are a lot of scenes in this book that inspire and interest me! These are stories that stay with you in your memory for a long time.
I love seeing Aang and the whole cast of Avatar characters growing and dealing with new problems, supporting each other through adventures, but also finding their own independence apart from the other characters.
In this book, a lot of children are being kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Spirits of legend in the Fire Nation. Aang's job is to find out if the old legends are true, and what these supposed "spirits" want from the new Fire Lord, Zuko.
Zuko is struggling to appear as a strong and confident leader, but the truth is he doesn't have all the answers, and his people don't always trust his decisions. On top of it all, seeing Mai brings back a lot of old hurt and emotional stuff for Zuko. He's such a deliciously complex character!
The artwork is perfection, flowing between scenes with lots of action. The dialogue really tells the story along with the character's facial expressions. It's a perfectly written comic!
In this book, a lot of children are being kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Spirits of legend in the Fire Nation. Aang's job is to find out if the old legends are true, and what these supposed "spirits" want from the new Fire Lord, Zuko.
Zuko is struggling to appear as a strong and confident leader, but the truth is he doesn't have all the answers, and his people don't always trust his decisions. On top of it all, seeing Mai brings back a lot of old hurt and emotional stuff for Zuko. He's such a deliciously complex character!
The artwork is perfection, flowing between scenes with lots of action. The dialogue really tells the story along with the character's facial expressions. It's a perfectly written comic!
A perfect conclusion to this trilogy! The kidnappers are revealed, Azula is back in the Fire Nation causing trouble and mayhem, and of course there is political unrest, intrigue, betrayal, family bonds, and friendship. The spirit world contacts Aang to help him solve the mystery of the kidnapped children, and an old legend of the Fire Nation is unveiled.
The artwork does a wonderful job flowing from scene to scene with lots of action, and I love how the colors used reflect the mood of each scene.
As always, I adore every single character in the Avatar world! Aang is doing his peacemaking thing, bridging the gaps between people, and being the voice of reason. He has some comedic relief moments as well that are simply adorable!
Zuko is still a little haunted by his past, and has to confront his insane sister Azula. He's never quite sure if he wants to befriend her or fight her to the death. Zuko is also dealing with his feelings for his ex-girlfriend Mai, and Mai is making some relationship decisions of her own. She's the same old snarky Mai, but with a slightly more soft side that she rarely shows.
Through all their adventures the Gaang all stick by each other, even if they might have some small disagreements, and I love seeing their continuing character development!
The artwork does a wonderful job flowing from scene to scene with lots of action, and I love how the colors used reflect the mood of each scene.
As always, I adore every single character in the Avatar world! Aang is doing his peacemaking thing, bridging the gaps between people, and being the voice of reason. He has some comedic relief moments as well that are simply adorable!
Zuko is still a little haunted by his past, and has to confront his insane sister Azula. He's never quite sure if he wants to befriend her or fight her to the death. Zuko is also dealing with his feelings for his ex-girlfriend Mai, and Mai is making some relationship decisions of her own. She's the same old snarky Mai, but with a slightly more soft side that she rarely shows.
Through all their adventures the Gaang all stick by each other, even if they might have some small disagreements, and I love seeing their continuing character development!
This book inspired me, gave me spiritual healing, and had incredible insight into why people are broken and how God can heal that brokenness.
I love that each concept starts with an example of brokenness, leads into the spiritual lesson with Biblical text, explains the real reasons behind our behavior, and then gives practical solutions to heal and change for the better.
And it's not just about being "better"; it's about being the person God truly created you to be.
The writing has a lot of spiritual depth, but also a common sense approach to applying the spiritual concepts. It's clear enough that anyone can understand it and relate to it, but also deeply insightful so that you need to stop and think carefully and prayerfully about the ideas presented.
I love that each concept starts with an example of brokenness, leads into the spiritual lesson with Biblical text, explains the real reasons behind our behavior, and then gives practical solutions to heal and change for the better.
And it's not just about being "better"; it's about being the person God truly created you to be.
The writing has a lot of spiritual depth, but also a common sense approach to applying the spiritual concepts. It's clear enough that anyone can understand it and relate to it, but also deeply insightful so that you need to stop and think carefully and prayerfully about the ideas presented.
The story continues with Althea desperate to prove herself as an able-bodied seaman so that she can hopefully regain control of the Liveship Vivacia. But unbeknownst to her, Vivacia has been captured by pirates, and Wintrow is forced to bargain with the evil Kennit to save his own life and his father's.
Malta is caught up in a flurry of courtship that could mean the forgiveness of the Vestrit family's crushing debts, or it could spell ruin for her reputation. Brashen is striving to simply make a living on board a ship anywhere, but the mad ship Paragon might change his plans. And the mysterious Amber begins to have more influence on events as she has a finger in every pie in Bingtown.
There are a LOT of characters to follow in this trilogy, but Hobb does a good job of balancing all their POVs and separate storylines. The changing POV is still not my favorite thing, but it IS well-written and easy to follow.
This book is just so LONG! It could have been at least 200 pages shorter if some editor had cut out all the redundant explanations and the unnecessary details of every person's thoughts and motives at every turn. It's just too much extra stuff, and it makes the plot move very slowly in some places.
I do love all the characters, and I'm horrified by the villains, and the plot keeps things interesting!
I did NOT like that there is a character who is raped, and there is a lot of violence, both from pirates and corrupt government officials. I hated reading all that, and it poisoned my enjoyment of this book.
I loved finding out more about the mysterious Rain Wilds and the families who live there. That whole world is so enchanting and wild!
The plot twists near the end surprised me, and I am amazed at the depth of creativity in the story and world-building!
Malta is caught up in a flurry of courtship that could mean the forgiveness of the Vestrit family's crushing debts, or it could spell ruin for her reputation. Brashen is striving to simply make a living on board a ship anywhere, but the mad ship Paragon might change his plans. And the mysterious Amber begins to have more influence on events as she has a finger in every pie in Bingtown.
There are a LOT of characters to follow in this trilogy, but Hobb does a good job of balancing all their POVs and separate storylines. The changing POV is still not my favorite thing, but it IS well-written and easy to follow.
This book is just so LONG! It could have been at least 200 pages shorter if some editor had cut out all the redundant explanations and the unnecessary details of every person's thoughts and motives at every turn. It's just too much extra stuff, and it makes the plot move very slowly in some places.
I do love all the characters, and I'm horrified by the villains, and the plot keeps things interesting!
I did NOT like that there is a character who is raped, and there is a lot of violence, both from pirates and corrupt government officials. I hated reading all that, and it poisoned my enjoyment of this book.
I loved finding out more about the mysterious Rain Wilds and the families who live there. That whole world is so enchanting and wild!
The plot twists near the end surprised me, and I am amazed at the depth of creativity in the story and world-building!
I was enthralled by this graphic novel! It's incredible how, despite the violent and serious nature of the story, there is still humor and friendship and family. All the good things of life are entwined with the horrifying circumstances of the Boxer Rebellion.
Little Bao is an ordinary youngest son being picked on by his older brothers, but when his father is beaten by "foreign devils" and his village is cheated by the Christian Chinese, little Bao learns to fight and begins a journey seeking for justice and revenge.
With the help of the magical Chinese gods and heroes of the past, Little Bao and his brothers raise an army to protect the country villages, but circumstances push them to larger fights until Bao loses control of the movement he helped to start. He must choose to cling to the ideals of his teachers, or follow the gods in their merciless ambitions for China.
It's definitely an operatic tragedy, since Little Bao loses everything and everyone he ever cared about.
Sometimes I liked Little Bao, whenever he was having a normal moment; conversing with a friend, enjoying a cup of tea, flirting with a girl, learning from his teacher, or admiring his father.
But most of the time, I did not like Bao at all. He always seems to be making bad decisions; violent and destructive decisions.
I definitely appreciated how Bao started out trying to do good, and the circumstances pushed him into doing evil. Other people put pressure on him, and the gods and heroes haunt him to make the same decisions they made in Chinese history, and poor Bao is caught in the middle.
Eventually he becomes convinced that he IS doing good when he acts destructively. He believes that he is doing what is best for his nation, and that spurs him to murder children, set fire to cities, and destroy priceless books. All his actions fall back on him though, and his own losses are directly connected to his decisions to destroy others. That was truly brilliant writing!
Plot is fast-paced and intricate. Artwork is gorgeous! Characters are everything they should be- interesting, varied, deep, relatable, and of course beautifully complex.
I love it!
Little Bao is an ordinary youngest son being picked on by his older brothers, but when his father is beaten by "foreign devils" and his village is cheated by the Christian Chinese, little Bao learns to fight and begins a journey seeking for justice and revenge.
With the help of the magical Chinese gods and heroes of the past, Little Bao and his brothers raise an army to protect the country villages, but circumstances push them to larger fights until Bao loses control of the movement he helped to start. He must choose to cling to the ideals of his teachers, or follow the gods in their merciless ambitions for China.
It's definitely an operatic tragedy, since Little Bao loses everything and everyone he ever cared about.
Sometimes I liked Little Bao, whenever he was having a normal moment; conversing with a friend, enjoying a cup of tea, flirting with a girl, learning from his teacher, or admiring his father.
But most of the time, I did not like Bao at all. He always seems to be making bad decisions; violent and destructive decisions.
I definitely appreciated how Bao started out trying to do good, and the circumstances pushed him into doing evil. Other people put pressure on him, and the gods and heroes haunt him to make the same decisions they made in Chinese history, and poor Bao is caught in the middle.
Eventually he becomes convinced that he IS doing good when he acts destructively. He believes that he is doing what is best for his nation, and that spurs him to murder children, set fire to cities, and destroy priceless books. All his actions fall back on him though, and his own losses are directly connected to his decisions to destroy others. That was truly brilliant writing!
Plot is fast-paced and intricate. Artwork is gorgeous! Characters are everything they should be- interesting, varied, deep, relatable, and of course beautifully complex.
I love it!
She is born the fourth girl in her Chinese family, and since her grandfather refuses to give her a name, she is called simply Four-Girl. When she is awkward or misbehaves, her family call her a devil, so Four-Girl goes to the foreign devils to find companionship and becomes a Christian.
As Four-Girl searches for her identity within Christian culture, she has visions of Joan of Arc, who appears to her to guide and encourage her in the faith. Four-Girl knows that she must find a calling, and learning the story of Joan helps Four-Girl to realize her purpose. She takes on a new Christian name, Vibiana, and fashions a life for herself with the Christians.
I really liked Four-Girl's character! She's curious and loud-mouthed, always asking questions and saying the wrong thing. She is impulsive and weird. She's very serious about serious things and gets frustrated that people don't take her seriously.
She wants to fight battles to protect her friends, but she comes to understand that there are more important things that violence and destruction can never touch. Her gradual journey to understand her new faith, and her discovery of the love of Christ was very touching.
I was interested to see that the Christians were not perfect good guys. They made mistakes and didn't show much wisdom. Most of their problem with the Chinese were all misunderstandings and rumor, and some criminals who used the Christian name as a political tool to con people. Both sides, Boxers and Christians, were ignorant and foolish, and judged whole people groups by the actions of a few.There's a historical commentary in there somewhere about repeating mistakes from the past.
I loved how Four-Girl's story entwined with Little Bao's story from Boxers. Especially at the end, everything came together beautifully and tragically. Brilliant writing, beautiful artwork, and an entrancing story!
As Four-Girl searches for her identity within Christian culture, she has visions of Joan of Arc, who appears to her to guide and encourage her in the faith. Four-Girl knows that she must find a calling, and learning the story of Joan helps Four-Girl to realize her purpose. She takes on a new Christian name, Vibiana, and fashions a life for herself with the Christians.
I really liked Four-Girl's character! She's curious and loud-mouthed, always asking questions and saying the wrong thing. She is impulsive and weird. She's very serious about serious things and gets frustrated that people don't take her seriously.
She wants to fight battles to protect her friends, but she comes to understand that there are more important things that violence and destruction can never touch. Her gradual journey to understand her new faith, and her discovery of the love of Christ was very touching.
I was interested to see that the Christians were not perfect good guys. They made mistakes and didn't show much wisdom. Most of their problem with the Chinese were all misunderstandings and rumor, and some criminals who used the Christian name as a political tool to con people. Both sides, Boxers and Christians, were ignorant and foolish, and judged whole people groups by the actions of a few.
I loved how Four-Girl's story entwined with Little Bao's story from Boxers. Especially at the end, everything came together beautifully and tragically. Brilliant writing, beautiful artwork, and an entrancing story!
