Why You Should Read Classics (even if you think you hate them)

I used to despise classic books. Like non-fiction, they just seemed boring. But one summer (I was about fourteen or fifteen) I picked up a cheap $6 copy of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at Barnes & Noble and I was blown away. A couple years later, and it's still my favorite book.

From then on I bought the cheap classics at B&N whenever I had any babysitting money. It was torture having to pick between The Lost World and Wuthering Heights. I discovered the magical world of Five Children and It, the sad but beautiful tale of Jane Eyre, and life in the jungle with Swiss Family Robinson. The summer I turned sixteen I discovered Jane Austen. Wowzers.

The great thing about classics is that their is a wide variety. You have romance, steampunk, sci-fi, fairy tales, pirates, jungles, dinosaurs, shipwrecks and on and on. They even came out with modern editions of classic books to appeal to today's Twilight fans.

And whimisical covers for book lovers of all ages.

And then there are re-written, easier to understand classic books. I hate those with a passion. Don't mess with a best seller that has stood the test of time. When you chop it up, you take away the magic, the whole reason it was so popular in the first place.

Read any classics lately? Love or hate them?

Just In Case You're Curious...

Why do I have a video on the top of my blog? This past month, I viewed an amazing documentary. I am excited to say it's available for the general public to view. Please take 30 minutes to sit down and watch this. I promise you 180Movie will be life-changing and you'll want to share it with everyone you know. It may cause your friends and family to make a 180 in their beliefs about abortion.

After watching it, I hope you'll post your comments here about who you shared it with. Share it with people you know that are not pro-life. Like the people in this documentary, they may do a 180 from being pro-choice to an unwavering pro-life view. To find out more about this amazing documentary, visit the 180 Movie's website.

My List of Inspiring Non-Fiction Books

If you're like me, you like made-up stories. Or as the world calls it, Fiction. That is such a boring word. Sounds like friction. I prefer to call them made-up stories.

I've always avoided non-fiction books because they're usually boring. But I've discovered some awesome nonfiction books this year and thought I would share it with any other made-up story lovin' people out there.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Inspired Me award goes to "Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption" by Katie Davis with Beth Clark. Actually, I'm in the middle of reading this, but it's amazing.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Strengthened My Faith award goes to "The Cause Within You: Finding the One Great Thing You Were Created to Do in This World" by Matthew Barnett with George Barna. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Taught Me To Dream Big award goes to "Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas" by Abby Sunderland and Lynn Vincent. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Made Me Cry award goes to "Life, In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice" by Kristen Jane Anderson with Tricia Goyer. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Opened My Eyes award goes to "A Heart for Freedom: The Remarkable Journey of a Young Dissident, Her Daring Escape, and Her Quest to Free China's Daughters" by Chai Ling. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Made Me Think award goes to "Surprised By Oxford: A Memoir" by Carolyn Weber. You can read my review here.