Book Club Christmas Party Recap {2015}

I can't believe another Book Club Christmas Party has come and gone! This year (or last year if you want to get technical) we met up for lunch and coffee at a local cafe and continued our tradition of a Secret Santa Book Exchange. I absolutely love what everyone had on their wishlist, so read on to find out what everyone got!   

Keri: For the Love by Jen Hatmaker | Melissa: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Shelley: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom | Lauren: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker 

Sarah: For the Love by Jen Hatmaker | Jenny: Uprooted by Naomi Novik (She's holding a picture of the cover since Lauren ordered her the UK edition and it hadn't come in yet--the UK edition is BEAUTIFUL and totally worth the wait!)

Elizabeth: Emma by Jane Austen | Britney: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Lesley Anne: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen | Hope: Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot 

For book club this month we decided to shake things up and read what we got at the Christmas party, or choose whatever book we wanted. I'm so glad we have a flexible book club that's ok with bending the rules every now and then. I'm interested to find out what everyone thought of their reads this weekend! 

Have you read any of these books or are any of them on your TBR? Let us know! 

Musings: Christmas Hymns

I was at a conference not too long ago and the speaker was talking about how overwhelming life can be at times. He asked a great question that I had not ever really thought about - what do you do to retreat from life when you need a break? How do you regain your balance and joy when life tends to be too much to handle? (He was asking what you do in the everyday to center yourself, not about going on vacation, which is the ultimate in centering oneself as far as I'm concerned.) It was pretty obvious once I thought about it. I have always retreated to words. Words speak to me (no pun intended. I hate puns) on a level that really nothing else does. Words expressing beautiful concepts, words put together beautifully, stories that bring hope... it is these things that help to restore my equilibrium.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings

Mild he lays he glory by, born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King"!

As far as I am concerned there is almost no music as beautiful as Christmas hymns. As my poor brother-in-law will attest, I must love the words of a song if I am to love the song. (He is the music minister at our church and is forced to hear my opinion whether he wants it or not). Ravi Zacherias said it best when he said he prefers four different verses to singing the same thing over and over again. There is so much truth and beauty and doctrine and grace packed into the Christmas hymns that I do not know why we do not sing them all year long. Most of us know them by heart and can sing them without thinking about what we are singing. I challenge you to truly think about what you are singing this season. We tend to not associate worship with Christmas hymns because, well, they are Christmas music. They are reserved for one season. Yes, they give us warm fuzzy feelings of camaraderie and good memories. Yes, we can recognize most of them by just the first few notes. But do we hear the words we are singing? Do we understand the incomparable glory of the Incarnation?

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we

Let all within us praise His holy name

Christmas hymns bring tears to my eyes and move my soul. They do such a wonderful job of communicating all the wonderful things the birth of Christ brought. Peace. Joy. Love. Mercy. Compassion. Grace. Atonement. Reconciliation. Glory. Redemption. Healing. Justice. Holiness. Unity. The list really could go on and on, but you get the picture. This is what centers me. When life is too much and when there is no peace to be found, I go back to the Advent. I am reminded that He has already brought healing and it is ours for the taking. I am reminded that, though I so often fall short in loving my husband, my family, my neighbor, He has given me the ability to do so and the grace to pick myself up and keep going when I fail. 

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

I hope that you, too, will be renewed by the beauty of Christmas hymns. Too often do we take for granted the grandeur of our hymns. I hope that you will be stirred by the magnificence of our God when you hear them. Do not be intimidated by the depth of the concepts they sing of; rather, be entranced by the depth of the love of God they display. Let them be a reminder that God is bigger than our circumstances. Let the words curl around your heart and settle your soul.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men

And in despair I bow my head

There is no peace on earth I said

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep

God is not dead nor does he sleep

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, goodwill to men

Stacking the Shelves {December 2013}

Hey y'all! Lesley Anne here. Jenny and I are taking a break from Top Ten Tuesday today to enjoy New Year's Eve with family and friends, buuuut...I did want to drop in real quick and show you guys the books I got for Christmas! I'm linking up with Tynga's Reviews, so head over here if you want to check out what everyone else has added to their shelves this month. 

Gifted for Christmas:
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Southerner's Handbook: A Guide to Living the Good Life by the Editors of Garden & Gun
Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On! by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen's Masterpiece by Susannah Fullerton
The Hobbit (75th Anniversary Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
ESV Study Bible

Bought With Christmas Gift Cards:
The Lord of the Rings (Deluxe Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien
Four Classic Novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Persuasion by Jane Austen
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Added for Free to Nook:
The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher
A Feast of Dragons by Morgan Rice
Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer
Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson
Fall for You by Cecilia Gray
A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell

Bought for Nook:
Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Grabbed From My Parents' House Because They Were Cleaning Out the Basement:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
Finding God in The Lord of the Rings by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware
The Ocean Within by V.M. Caldwell

Treasures of the North by Tracie Peterson
Ashes and Ice by Tracie Peterson
Rivers of Gold by Tracie Peterson

Whew! Just thinking about all those books makes me tired (but also excited!). What books did you add to your shelves this month? I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year! 

Under Our Tree

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is - you guessed it - Top Ten Books We Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Us. First up, Jenny's wish list!

1. Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir. The lives of historical figures always interests me. It helps me to remember that they were three dimensional people, not simply a collection of flat, static facts from a textbook.

2. Skyscrapers by Judith Duprè. She has an updated version of this book to include new buildings that have been built since 1996. I hate heights but love the intricacies of skyscrapers. Now I can enjoy this with my feet firmly on the ground!

3. Cinder by Melissa Meyer. Actually, since Santa is buying, he can bring me the whole series (or rather, the whole series thus far). This book keeps popping up and I am very intrigued by the storyline.

4. Hild by Nicola Griffith. For those of you who do not know, the people of the British Isles during the 7th - 11th centuries are my people. It is a most fascinating and little known time period. This book seems- I haven't read it yet- to highlight the best parts of this period and its people.

5. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. The ability to stop and just be aware of your blessings is something I long to cultivate. Rather than living for the future, I want to live in the present. 

6. Grendel by John Gardner. Grendel is one of the monsters from the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. Gardner flips the story around and tells it with Grendel as the narrator. I could go on and on about the intricacies of a character such as Grendel, but I will not subject you, our dear Reader, to that. 

7. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I am more than a little embarrassed that this is on my list. It's even more embarrassing that I'm a medievalist whose area of interest includes Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse. 

8. Innocence by Dean Koontz. I have never read a Koontz book before, but the cover of this one caused me to click on it to see what it is about. You should check it out as well, if you haven't already. I think it will intrigue you also.

9. Christ and the Media by Malcolm Muggeridge. Ravi Zacherias quotes him all the time and the quotes are always so profound. I need this book in paperback so I can write all in it. 

10. The Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris. These books are murder mysteries set during the Regency period. I have been eyeing them for quite sometime, as they come recommended on Goodreads based on Ariana Franklin, whom I adore.

1. The Southerner's Handbook. Coming from the editors of Garden & Gun magazine, this book promises to be a slice of Southern heaven. I love reading about the place I've called home my entire life, even if I will probably never "bet on the Kentucky Derby and whip up a proper Sazerac," haha!

2. Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen's Masterpiece. One of my reading goals for the new year is to finish all of Jane Austen's novels, including, of course, the one and only Pride and Prejudice. I know after reading the classic novel I will be ready to get my hands on all things P&P, especially this gorgeous non-fiction piece.

3. 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada. There are so many places I want to visit in the world, but there are also so many things to do and see right here in the United States. I know after flipping through this tome I will be seriously ready to buy some plane tickets!

4. The Lord of the Rings. Whatever Jenny says, do not be embarrassed if you find one of Tolkien's books on your list. You have amazing taste and are awesome if you do. Haha! ;) For me, I would like to have a prettier (and more comprehensive) copy of The Lord of the Rings than my current worn-out mass market paperbacks, so this 50th Anniversary edition would be the perfect addition to my shelves.

5. The Hobbit. Likewise, I think the navy blue and green anniversary edition of The Hobbit is soooo pretty. I just love this cover. I want to read it and also find a way to incorporate it into my home decor.

6. Longbourne. Jo Baker is one smart gal. Writing a book that will appeal to both Jane Austen and Downton Abbey fans? Sounds like a winner to me!

7. Mr. Boddington's Classics. If we're being honest, I think these are some of the prettiest book covers I have ever seen. The bright and colorful style is right up my alley. Granted, the covers for Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights don't match the mood of the stories inside, but when I first saw the collection on a display table in Anthropologie, I literally had to keep myself from drooling. I would love to have all six of these books on my shelves!

8. The Kinfolk Table. I'm not a regular reader of Kinfolk magazine, but from browsing around their website, I can tell they place a lot of importance on simple and clean photography and design, which I looovvveee in my cookbooks. I also like that The Kinfolk Table places emphasis on the relationships that surround eating, rather than fancy recipes and table decorations. What a concept!

9. Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales. I am a complete sucker for retellings, so an entire volume that includes new twists on stories like Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, and The Awakening?  Sign me up!

10. How to Hepburn. If you were to visit my office at work, the first thing you would notice is my huge canvas of Audrey Hepburn on the wall. I love Audrey's classic style, but I would like to know more about her Hepburn counterpart, Kate the Great. Books like this don't have much practical advice, but hey, they are so much fun to read!

What books are you hoping Santa will bring you tomorrow?! No matter what's under the tree, we hope you all have a GREAT Christmas!