Finishing the reading challenge!

The Challenge:

I was able to finish the accompanying reading challenge earlier this month. For each of the 26 books, I'll identify the book with pertinent commentary. After the book list, I'll have reviews of the various books (I'll be updating them as I write them, I only have three up at the moment).

The Books:

1. A book you read in school - Princess Bride by William Goldman (it didn't specify which school haha, but I first read it while I was at BYU)

2. A book from your childhood - Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

3. A book published over 100 years ago - Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

4. A book published in the last year - Wires and Nerves by Marissa Meyer

5. A non-fiction book -
Family Property Law, Cases and Materials on Wills, Trusts, and Estates - Thomas Gallantis

6. A book written by a male author - Psion Gamma by Jacob Gowans

7. A book written by a female author -Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg

8. A book by someone who isn't a writer - Talk as Fast as I can by Lauren Graham (I know that she has a novel published, but since she is not primarily a writer and most definitely focused on her writing, I think this still qualifies)

9. A book that became a film - Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

10. A book published in the 20th Century - Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

11. A book set in your hometown/region - Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson (takes place in Sacramento, so I figured that was close enough)

12. A book with someone's name in the title - Dracula by Bram Stoker

13. A book with a number in the title -Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

14. A book with a character with your first name - Fate of the Tearing by Erika Johansen (character actually went by Allie)

15. A book someone else recommended to you- Psion Beta by Jacob Gowans (recommended by Mary Locke Jolley)

16. A book with over 500 pages - Tales From Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson

17. A book you can finish in a day - Black Key by Amy Ewing

18. A previously banned book - Harry Potter och de Vises Sten by J.K. Rowling (Illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone in Swedish)

19. A book with a one-word title - Catalyst by James Luceno (Star Wars)

20. A book translated from another language - Harry Potter och Hemligheternas Kammare by J.K. Rowling (Illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets translated into Swedish)

21. A book that will improve a specific area of your life - Happy Lawyer by Nancy Levit and Douglas O. Linder

22. A memoir or journal - One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly by Ashley Mae Hoiland

23. A book written by someone younger than you - Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult (who is admittedly older than me) and Samantha Van Leer (who is in fact younger than me)

24. A book set somewhere you'll be visiting this year - Emil i Lönneberga by Astrid Lindgren (Swedish, takes place in Sweden)

25. An award winning book - The Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd

26. A self-published book - I'm With You by Taylor Dean

My reviews:

1. A book you read in school - Princess Bride by William Goldman (it didn't specify which school haha, but I first read it while I was at BYU)

Well I guess I should say that it is an adaptation of S. Morgenstern's work haha.

I've read this book twice now (the first time was six years prior to the second, during my second year at BYU). I had the illustrated version for the second reading and I would definitely recommend that version.

The tongue-in-cheek fantasy is quite fun (remembering that the entire thing is fiction).

It is not told in the same fashion as the movie. The novel is an "abridgment" of the original, and while the concept of the story being read to a sick child is mention, it is not the main storytelling method. That child is now and author remembering that first telling and then abridging the original so that others may have a similar experience and not be distracted by the hundreds of pages of boring "history" and commentary. The story of Wesley and Buttercup is a fun one and has a little bit for everyone: romance, adventure, pirates, fencing, swordfighting, revenge, plots, death, life, truth and lies. The book goes back in forth between "S. Morgenstern's" story and Mr. Goldman's commentary, which provides a great variation in narration. I loved the movie and certainly love the book.

2. A book from your childhood - Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I loved this book as a kid.  I read and reread it so many times that I lost count.  I even bought the audiobook awhile back (which I really don't recommend simply because the actress reading it sounds like she's 12 even though I know she was at least in her late 20s recording it, even though Ella is 15 or older in about 90% of the book).

Ella Enchanted is a take on the class Cinderella story, where Ella has a spell of obedience placed upon her.  She has to obey any command given to her (no matter how small or how life-threatening).  I still enjoyed the concept, but I was surprised at how... childish it seemed now.  Just that I thought it would age with me more and still be enjoyable as an adult, but it wasn't as good as I remembered.  Which severely disappointed me honestly.  It did help influence me to write my own take on fairytales, which I will execute in the future.

3. A book published over 100 years ago - Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The one benefit of short stories is that they read quickly.  I really enjoy my edition which preserves the original artwork and formatting from the original syndicated version.  Some of the stories are more familiar (and influence the Sherlock Holmes adaptations---I'm a huge fan of the BBC series Sherlock).

4. A book published in the last year - Wires and Nerves by Marissa Meyer

A continuation of the Lunar Chronicles.  I loved getting more into Iko's perspective of life after the books.  She's hunting down rogue soldiers that disappeared after the battle in Winter.  As a graphic novel, it's of course goes fast, but I look forward to Vol. 2!

5. A non-fiction book - Family Property Law, Cases and Materials on Wills, Trusts, and Estates - Thomas Gallantis

Case book for school haha.  I thought Wills was one of the more interesting subjects, but I would never recommend a case book to be read for fun by a layperson (you can just look up the more interesting cases online for free anyway on some site or another).  This was detailed different cases dealing with Probate law generally and wasn't specific to California.  It was one of the better textbooks from this past year.

6. A book written by a male author - Psion Gamma by Jacob Gowans

Book 2 of a 5 book series (A quintet?  Though it isn't advertised as such).  I read the first book as part of this challenge as well.  I'll write a more detailed description and dealing with my thoughts on the series under Psion Beta below.

7. A book written by a female author -Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg

This story follows Maire, a baker, with the special ability of infusing traits and emotions into her baked goods. She has no memory of before she was found outside of her small town. Everything changes when her town is attacked and she gets sold to a man who forces her to bake things much more sinister in nature (think the gingerbread house and a living cookie boy). While imprisoned she meets a ghost who she is sure is connected to her past and the story follows her journey of rediscovering who she is and where she came from. I liked this one, I didn't love it, but I definitely liked it. I had read Ms. Holmberg's trilogy, the Paper Magician, and similarly I loved the world she built and the magic introduced, even though I found the actual story a little lacking. I did rather enjoy the ending though!

8. A book by someone who isn't a writer - Talk as Fast as I can by Lauren Graham (I know that she has a novel published, but since she is not primarily a writer and most definitely focused on her writing, I think this still qualifies)

This one was fun!  I've been branching out a little more into non-fiction in the past few years.  I read Lauren Graham's novel awhile back (which I also found enjoyable).  Definitely a good combination of funny and nostalgia!

9. A book that became a film - Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

This is one I enjoyed the movie more than the book... which is rare.  It follows the life of Bathsheba and her various difficulties in being an independent woman and her love affairs.  Bathsheba just bugged me though, something about her and her decisions just drove me nuts that I was having a hard time immersing myself into the story.

10. A book published in the 20th Century - Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Most have probably seen the movie and the book is a bit different.  The magic is much more defined and Sally's kids are much older in the book.  It's an "adult" book, meaning it doesn't shy away from cursing or sex.  It's magic, romance, and a tale of family.

11. A book set in your hometown/region - Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson (takes place in Sacramento, so I figured that was close enough)

Second book in a trilogy.  I really loved Rae Carson's first trilogy (Girl of Fire and Thorns... highly recommended!!!) and this trilogy follows a young women, Leah, with a magical "gold" sense, so that she can sense gold nearby, right in the middle of the Gold Rush era.  The first book follows her journey out west, and the second one describes her settling into California.

12. A book with someone's name in the title - Dracula by Bram Stoker

Eh... mixed feelings about this one.  Some of it is really intriguing, and sometimes it just feels like it's dragging on.  I'll admit I never imagined Dracula with a mustache... shows you how little I knew about the original story.

13. A book with a number in the title -Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I loved this!  It's such a fun ride!  Loaded with 80s and video game references.  (For the few that don't  know, I love playing video games).   It's exciting and immersive and I'm eager to see what they do with the movie.

14. A book with a character with your first name - Fate of the Tearing by Erika Johansen (character actually went by Allie)

This was the final book in a trilogy... I had mixed feelings about how it ended...  I loved the first two books, but like I understood the ending but it also just seemed so sudden and I wish there was a tiny bit more (even though it made sense getting what we did).

15. A book someone else recommended to you- Psion Beta by Jacob Gowans (recommended by Mary Locke Jolley)

I ended up reading this entire series this year and I was definitely satisfied with the ending.  It's a dystopian/science fiction style (as in it takes place in the future, but society hasn't completely deteriorated).  There are certain anomalies/mutations that are developing in society that give the individual "powers" of a sort.  Sammie has not just one, but two of those anomalies.  He gets recruited to join the Psions and fight against corruption.  It's an interesting ride.  The first book gave me a bit of an Ender's Game vibe. 

16. A book with over 500 pages - Tales From Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson

I'm a fan of anything Shadowhunter and this follows Simon as he attends the Shadowhunter Academy in the events after the Immortal Instruments.

17. A book you can finish in a day - Black Key by Amy Ewing

18. A previously banned book - Harry Potter och de Vises Sten by J.K. Rowling (Illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone in Swedish)

Loved the illustrations and reading anything in Swedish is always good practice for me!

19. A book with a one-word title - Catalyst by James Luceno (Star Wars)

This is the story before Rogue One (the story of Jyn's father and how he became involved in the development of the Death Star).  Better than some of the other books in the new Star Wars Era (I will always be somewhat partial to the original Expanded Universe since I was so involved in it for so many years).  Still anxiously waiting Episode VIII

20. A book translated from another language - Harry Potter och Hemligheternas Kammare by J.K. Rowling (Illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets translated into Swedish)

I read this book so many times in English it is borderline obscene, and I mean I lost count after a number over 20 times which I am a little embarrassed to admit... so we'll just leave it at 20 for now.  I'm really looking to the third book, which in many ways is my favorite of the bunch.

21. A book that will improve a specific area of your life - Happy Lawyer by Nancy Levit and Douglas O. Linder

22. A memoir or journal - One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly by Ashley Mae Hoiland

23. A book written by someone younger than you - Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult (who is admittedly older than me) and Samantha Van Leer (who is in fact younger than me)

Nice teen romance. I loved the overall concept: book characters (at least in this particular story) come to life when the pages are not being read. They are forced to act out the same story time and time again, whenever a reader opens their book. Oliver has grown tired of this monotony. He doesn't love his princess, he's tired of tricking the bad guys, and he wants the chance of being more than what has been written. He wants to see what lies beyond his pages.

Delilah is a lone soul. She happens across Between the Lines by chance in the school library and it instantly spoke to her from the first page. She's drawn to the prince there and wishes for something more than just a brief respite from reality. One day she notices something different: the prince of the story Oliver is alive!

The book follow the journey of Oliver and Delilah as they try to break Oliver free while growing closer together.

The story is light and fun, definitely meant more for a younger audience (which makes sense that it was written by an mom/teen daughter duo). It's easy to keep in mind that the teenagers act like teenagers (and have the relevant misconceptions). Super quick read!

24. A book set somewhere you'll be visiting this year - Emil i Lönneberga by Astrid Lindgren (Swedish, takes place in Sweden)

25. An award winning book - The Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd

I thought this was a very thought-provoking read and an interesting take on a tough topic.  I highly recommend on making sure you read a version complete with the illustrations.

26. A self-published book - I'm With You by Taylor Dean

This book handles some tough issues: marriage, divorce, pregnancy, pregnancy complications, death, and love.   I thought it was really well written!

Books, books, lovely books!

A book unread
Waiting
The pages expectant
Word upon word
Line upon line
Pages formed
Chapters brought forth
A new tale
A new story
Unlike any before it
Waiting
Wanting to be told
Wanting to be read
Needing to be opened
The writer created
But without a reader
It is meaningless, only
Waiting
For the characters to breathe
To feel
To live
Lives waiting to be told
But for now
Waiting
Someone to come
Daring to believe
Daring to try
Bringing them to life

"Expectant" - 2/27/2017

* * *

A new year means new book goals!  Last year I was able to read to read 118 books and I set a new goal for 100 books this year.  I primarily read young adult books with an emphasis on the fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian sub-genres.  This year I'm attempting to branch out a bit more and I'm using a reading challenge to help me get some more variety.

I have a large stack of books that are still unread in my room (books are my weakness) that I want to work through in addition to the challenge off to the right.  In a separate blog entry I will keep track of the books I read as well as the ones that fulfill the various challenges.  For now, I want to be able to explore new worlds, discover new friends, and reacquaint myself with old ones.

SF Giants!

I've had the chance to go to several SF Giants games the last few years (it helps that my dad is able to get a tickets to several a games a year--that means that I can often attend at least two games a season).

I love going to games!  Our seats are on the club level, which is always a great experience.  AT&T park has a lot of really great food that you can purchase and a lot that is really tasty.  Plus, since it's San Francisco, Ghiradelli Sundaes are a must have (and that's saying something, since I'm really not a huge fan of chocolate syrip, hot fudge sundaes, but I love Ghiradelli's hot fudge!)

The most recent game I attended was the  Giants/Cubs game that went into the 13th inning with the Giants finally winning.  That was a crazy night and pretty intense sitting in the crowd.  Even though the Giants did not end up continuing on, it was a great experience.  Long night as well since we actually drove back to Fresno after the game ended near midnight and we did not get home until after 3 a.m.

Attending games for me just mean some great family time in a very fun atmosphere!

The one time I really dyed my hair

This picture was about a few days into it.

Going through the pictures on my phone, I was reminded of this one time.  Back in May 2015, I decided to experiment a little.  I went ahead and dyed my hair with a temporary dye.  The idea was something I had been playing around with for years (the most I had ever done before was some highlights, back in the 2008-2010 era) and since I had finished school for the year I had decided to just go for it.

I also learned the hard way that having natural blonde hair can make it so that temporary dyes are not so temporary.  The dye was supposed to last 2-3 washes, roughly 2-6 days.  I still had red in my hair over a month later.   Just make sure you know what you're getting into!  I had timed it well so that I had over a month before I started working again and I had just finished school, so there was plenty of playing room. Reactions were definitely varied, since I hadn't really warned anyone that I was going to do so beforehand haha.

But it was fun!  I wouldn't say no to dying my hair a bold color again, though I would go a different route in doing so and switch it up with a different color.

Les Misérables

Today I accomplished a goal that I've been working on for quite some time.  I finished reading the unabridged version of Les Miséables by Victor Hugo.

I have had an interesting journey with this tale.  I first purchased my copy at a Barnes & Noble in Orem, Utah while I was a freshman at BYU.  It was winter of the 08-09 school year.  My older brother and I laughed that day--after having lunch together we went to the bookstore, where he bought the abridged version of Les Mis while I purchased the unabridged.  And now, almost 8 years later, I finally finished the book.

I hadn't started reading it immediately.... I think it took me a year or so to first pick it up to actually read.  I read Part One: Fantine and then became distracted with life and stopped.

And then in 2012, I had the chance to see Les Misérables performed at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco.  I loved it.  As often is the case with musicals, I am familiar with the music before I ever see the performance.  This was the case here.

Several songs have always stood out to me: I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Bring Him Home, and The Epilogue among others.

I read most of Part Two: Cosette then, but I had to leave for Sweden before I could finish.

I watched the movie in Paris, France with my family, right after they picked me up from Sweden.  This ended up being one of first normal movies I had in about a year and a half.  The message struck me just as much then as it did in San Francisco - particularly that of forgiveness.

Come December 2015, I knew it was my goal to finish the book in 2016, so I began reading, once again.

I finally finished today.

This book has so many lessons.  I am so glad that I took the time to finish it.  A story of love, lost, forgiveness, despair, hope, tragedy, history, war, conflict, and salvation.  It shows the depravity of mankind as well as the innate goodness that exists in others.  It counteracts between the two, showing that you do not need to be defined by preconceived notions.  Despite everything that has been thrown at us, there is always a choice in how we react and how we continue to live each day.

This story is more than the life of Jean Valjean.  The heart of those words lift beyond the pages, permeating to the soul.

For me, one of the strongest messages is that of forgiveness, particularly that of forgiving oneself. Jean Valjean's strongest critic and judge in the end invariably was himself.  He was finally able to let go and find peace.  He was a such a good man, forever trying to atone for the mistake of stealing bread and his later escape.  He helped so many and left an impression on many lives, both in fiction and reality.

He sleeps.  Although so much he was denied,
He lived; and when his dear love left him, died.
It happened of itself, in the calm way
That in the evening night-time follows day.
~Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, p 1201

And remember the truth that once was spoken
To love another person is to see the face of God!
~Epilogue, Les Misérables Musical

Books of 2012

*Just updating this so it's a blog entry as opposed to a separate blog page*

This is a list of all of the books that I finished in 2012 (listed in the order read).  All books that were rereads are designated as such.  As applicable the series name is listed in parentheses after the title of the book.  Reviews are forthcoming!  As a disclaimer/warning, I will say that I read a lot. When I say I read a lot, I mean I read a lot. If you don't believe me, well, you're just about to see.

My Top Ten List!

Total count:  155 books!

Partial list of books read in 2014

1. Spying in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday Review

2. Killer in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday Review

3. Undercover in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday Review

4. Alibi in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday Review

5. Mayhem in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday Review

6. Fearless in High Heals (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday Review

7. One for the Money (Stephanie Plum Series) by Janet Evanovich.  Review

8. Wolf Legend by Jennette Brown. Review

9. The 90-Day Novel: Unlock the Story Within by Alan Watt 

10. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers—How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King 

11. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and Bruce Patton
12. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George Review

13. Abinadi by H.B. Moore 

14. Towers of Brierley by Anita Stansfield Review

15. The Wanderer (Shadows of Brierley, I) Review

16. A Far Horizon (Shadows of Brierley, II) Review

17. A Distant Shore (Shadows of Brierley, III) Review

18. In the Valley of the Mountains (Shadows of Brierley, IV) Review

19. Liar's Moon by Elizabeth Bunce 

20. Star Wars: Apocalypse (Fate of the Jedi) by Troy Denning Review

21. A Modest Proposal (Butterfly Box Series) by Michele Ashman Bell Series Review

22. Hometown Girl (Butterfly Box Series) by Michele Ashman Bell Series Review

23. The Perfect Fit (Butterfly Box Series) by Michele Ashman Bell Series Review

24. Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo Review

25. Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon Review

26. Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter Review

27. City of Angels (Rhea Jensen Series) by Sheralyn Pratt - reread Series Review

28. Welcome to Stalk Lake City (Rhea Jensen Series) by Sheralyn Pratt - reread Series Review

29. City Limits (Rhea Jensen Series) by Sheralyn Pratt - reread Series Review

30. Kay's Ville (Rhea Jensen Series) by Sheralyn Pratt - reread Series Review

31. The Avenues (Rhea Jensen Series) by Sheralyn Pratt Series Review
32. Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark - reread
33. We'll Meet Again by Mary Higgins Clark
34. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick Review
35. Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

36. Cinder by Marissa Meyer Review
37. Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg Review
38. Everneath by Brodi Ashton Review
39. The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark
40. Delirium by Lauren Oliver Review

41. The Sacred Quest (Formally The Seven Churches) by Chris Heimerdinger reread
42. The Lost Scrolls by Chris Heimerdinger reread
43. The Golden Crown by Chris Heimerdinger reread
44. The Warriors of Cumorah by Chris Heimerdinger reread
45. The Tower of Thunder by Chris Heimerdinger reread

46. Kingdoms and Conquerors by Chris Heimerdinger reread
47. Seers and Sorcerers by Chris Heimerdinger
48. Illuminate: A Gilded Wings Novel, Book One by Aimee Agresti Review
49. Escape from Zarahemla by Chris Heimerdinger
50. Art of Disney-Pixar Brave by Jenny Lerew Review

51. Art of Tangled by Jeff Kurtti Review
52. All-American Girl Review
53. Ready or Not by Meg Cabot Review
54. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
55. Wildwing by Emily Whitman

56. Airhead by Meg Cabot

57. Mixed Magics by Diana Wynne Jones Review
58. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by  Jennifer E. Smith Review
59. Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
60. Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review

61. The Selection by Kiera Cass
62. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
63. Austenland by Shannon Hale
64. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
65. Entwined by Heather Dixon 

66. The Healers Apprentice by  Melanie Dickerson
67. Rapunzel by Wendy Mass
68. The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker
69. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
70. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

71. Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin, Book I by R. L. LaFevers
72. Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review
73. Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack  
74. I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark
75. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - reread Author/Series Review

76. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
77. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan - reread Author/Series Review
78. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan - reread Author/Series Review
79. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan - reread Author/Series Review
80. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review 

81. Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
82. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
83. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review 
84. The Second Summer of Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
85. Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares

86. Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares 
87. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review
88. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
89. Journey to the Fringe by Kelli Swofford Nielsen
90. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

91. Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale Review
92. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott reread Series Review
93. Talking with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
94. The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review
95. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

96. The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors
97.1. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas (novella)
97.2. The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas (novella)
97.3. The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas (novella)
97.4. The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas (novella)

98. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
99. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
100.1. Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund (novella)
100. The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review

101. First Love and Forever by Anita Stansfield
102. First Love, Second Chances by Anita Stansfield
103. Now and Forever by Anita Stansfield
104. By Love and Grace by Anita Stansfield
105. Return to Love by Anita Stansfield

106. To Love Again by Anita Stansfield
107. When Forever Comes by Anita Stansfield
108. A Christmas Melody by Anita Stansfield
109. Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan Author/Series Review
110. For Love Alone by Anita Stansfield

111. Home for Christmas by Anita Stansfield
112. The Tortall Project by Tamora Pierce and various artists from DeviantArt
112.1. The Shadow Cats by Rae Carson (Novella)
113. Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
114. Guardian (Gables of Legacy) by Anita Stansfield
115. Guiding Star (Gables of Legacy) by Anita Stansfield

116. Silver Linings (Gables of Legacy) by Anita Stansfield
117. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
118. City of Angels by Sheralyn Pratt (Yes, that is the second time this year...) Series Review
119. An Eternal Bond (Gables of Legacy) by Anita Stansfield
120. Miracle (Gables of Legacy) by Anita Stansfield

121. Full Circle (Gables of Legacy) by Anita Stansfield
122. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
123. The Avenues by Sheralyn Pratt (Second time this year...) Series Review
124. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (reread)
125. Welcome to Stalk Lake City by Sheralyn Pratt (Second time this year...) Series Review

126. City Limits by Sheralyn Pratt (Second time this year...) Series Review
127. Kay's Ville by Sheralyn Pratt (Second time this year...) Series Review
128. The Neverending Story by Micheal Ende
129. Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
130. Struck by Jennifer Bosworth  

131. Defiance by C.J. Redwine
132.  The Magician by Michael Scott Series Review
133. The Sorceress by Michael Scott Series Review
134. The Necromancer by Michael Scott Series Review
134.1 The Death of Joan of Arc by Michael Scott (Short story) Series Review
135. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

136. The Warlock by Michael Scott Series Review
136.1. Billy the Kid and the Vampyres of Las Vegas by Michael Scott (novella) Series Review
137. The Enchantress by Michael Scott Series Review
138. Twitterpated by Melissa Jacobson
139. If I Should Die by Jennie Hanson Review
140. The List by Melissa Jacobson

141. Not My Type by Melissa Jacobson
142. Eighteen Months: Sister Missionaries of the Latter Days edited by Melissa Baird Carpenter
143. Star Wars Republic Commando: Hard Contact by Karen Traviss
144. Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen Review
145. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones

146. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
147. Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
148. False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen Review
149. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
150. Princess of the Silver Woods by Jennifer Day George

151. Smart Move by Melissa Jacobsen
152. Matched by Ally Condie
153. Crossed by Ally Condie
154. Reached by Ally Condie
155. To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson by Heidi S. Swinton

Books I started but didn't finish:

Complete Collection of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Finished two of the stories haha)
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (On Part 2, book 3).
Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff (Chapter 4 of 8)
Daughters in My Kingdom
Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey (I don't plan on finishing this actually - I couldn't force myself through it)

List of books to read/recommendations:


The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
Miracles by C.S. Lewis
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
Mobbed by Carol Higgins Clark
Style Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams and Gregory B. Colomb
Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark
Star Wars the Essential Guide to Warfare by Jason Fry with Paul R. Urquhart
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
Wild Ink-How to Write Fiction for Young Adults by Victoria Hanley
Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine

Books of 2016

In 2016 I was able to read a total of 117 books (and I reread one book twice last year), which helps explain my upcoming goal of reading 100 books for 2017 (more on that later).

You can find a comprehensive list of the books from 2016 with my ratings and some reviews here on my goodreads page as well.  Feel free to add me as a friend!

The books I read (finished) in 2016:


1. The Paper Magician (Paper Magician) by Charlie N. Holmberg
2. Shatter Me (Shatter Me) by Tahereh Mafi
3. The Glass Magician (Paper Magician) by Charlie N. Holmberg
4. The Master Magician (Paper Magician) by Charlie N. Holmberg
5. Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search

6. Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Rift
7. Avatar: The Last Airbender Legacy
8. Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer) by Rae Carson
9. Out of the Past - Once Upon a Time
10. Broken Things to Mend (Power of the Matchmaker) by Karey White

11. Crucible by Troy Denning
12. Aftermath by Chuck Wendig
13. Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts
14. The Siren by Kiera Cass
15. The Only Pirate at the Party by Lindsey Stirling & Brooke Passey

16. Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker) by Rachael Anderson
17. Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt
18. Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis
19. Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
20. If We Were a Movie (Power of the Matchmaker) by Kelly Oram

21. Princess Diares (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
22. Princess in the Spotlight (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
23. Princess in Love (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
24. Princess in Waiting (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
25. Princess in Pink (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot

26. Princess in Training (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
27. Love, Lattes and Mutants by Meg Cabot
28. Party Princess (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
29. Princess on the Brink (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
30. Princess Mia (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot

31. Forever Princess (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
32. Ransom My Heart (Princess Diaries-Loose Adult companion) by Meg Cabot
33. The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry
34. Royal Wedding (Princess Diaries) by Meg Cabot
35. Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbaca Adventure by Greg Rucka

36. Evidence, Cases and Materials by Roger Park
37. Criminal Law and Procedure by Donald Dripps
38. California Community Property by Gail Boreman Bird and Jo Carrillo
39. Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure by Cecil Castellucci
40. Constitutional Law by Jesse Choper

41. Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
42. Love is Come (Power of the Matchmaker) by Heather Moore
43. The Heir (Selection series) by Kiera Cass
44. Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diane Wynne Jones
45. All Dressed in White (Under Suspicion) by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

46. The Crown (Selection series) by Kiera Cass
47. A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnson
48. Star Wars: Dark Empire Trilogy by Tom Veitch
49. Stars Above (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer
50. Four Chambers (Power of the Matchmaker) by Julie Wright

51. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R. R. Martin
52. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
53. Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard
54. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
55. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

56. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
57. Intellectual Property in the Modern Age by Robert Merges
58. Dracona's Rebirth by V.J.O. Gardner
59. O'er the River Liffey by Heidi Ashworth
60. Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt by Patrick Q. Mason

61. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
62. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
63. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin
64. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
65. Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

66. After You (Me Before You) by Jojo Moyes
67. Blood of Ancient Kings by V.J.O. Gardner
68. The Martian by Andy Weir
69. The Inferno by Dan Brown
70. The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) by Rick Riordan

71. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
72. Juliet by Anne Fortier
73. Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean
74. Between Heaven and Earth by Michelle Paige Holmes
75. The Husband Maker by Karey White

At this point I officially reached my goal to read 75 books for the year on August 23, 2016

76. Winning at Trial by D. Shane Read
77. King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt
78. The Match Maker by Karey White
79. The Wife Maker by Karey White
80. Pottermore Presents - Heroism, Hardships, and Dangerous Hobbies

81. Pottermore Presents - Power, Politics, Poltergeists
82. Pottermore Presents - Hogwarts, Incomplete and Unreliable Guide
83. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
84. Princess in Black, Perfect Princess Party by Shannon Hale
85. Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

86. The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark
87. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
88. Mormon Feminism - Essential Writings edited by Joanna Brooks
89. Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
90. Three Dark Queens by Kendare Blake

91. To Move the World by Regina Sirois
92. Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
93. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
94. The Bluebook - Legal Citation
95. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

96. Walk of Infamy by Sheralyn Pratt
97. Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt (reread from earlier this year)
98. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
99. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
100. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

101. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
102. Essential Swedish Grammar by Julian Granberry
103. Tomorrow's Lawyers by Richard Susskind
104. Remedies by Russell L. Weaver
105. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

106. The Ex by Alafair Burke
107. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
108. Norse Code by Greg Van Eekhout
109. How I Met Your Brother by Janette Rallison
110. This Thing Called Mistletoe by Cortney Pearson

111. The Reformer by Jaima Fixsen
112. Hungerspelan (Hunger Games in Swedish) by Suzanne Collins
113. Tur by S. T. Bende
114. Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke
115. Elsker by S. T. Bende

116. Endre by S. T. Bende
117. Tro by S.T. Bende
118. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin

Always double check your car door...

This is a bit of an older story from last year.  For those of you who don't know, my family has two homes, one in the mountains and one in the city (Fresno and Coarsegold area specifically).  My parents and sister go quite a bit from one to the other, but I'm primarily in the Fresno home.  But I do go up to visit every once in a while (for instance right now I'm currently in the Coarsegold home).  There is one downside to the the mountain home--you can find more critters out and about.

Last year, I headed back to Fresno earlier than the others because I had something school related to do.  I unpacked my car and go to close my back door, and I find a stowaway.









Not quite Sure what it is?  Let me zoom in a bit for you.  You'll want to appreciate it in it's full glory.

Huddled up like this, the spider was still bigger than the length of my pinkie finger.  I'm not exactly afraid of spiders, but I'm not really a fan either (just ask Rikki who has seen first hand how I deal with spiders).   It hadn't moved the entire time, so I figured it was dead and had been stuck in my car for who knows how long.  So I look around and find a stick to knock it loose, since I didn't want to have a dead spider hanging onto my car.

So I find a long enough stick and muster the courage to knock it out to find, that nope it wasn't dead.  It was very much alive and not happy to be poked!  It ran around in a circle, was posed to engage before sprinting off into the bushes.  I totally freaked out and ran back inside my house.  That thing was fast.    I'll even include some texts I was sending to Rikki (this was all "live" as I first found the spider)

There were no future sightings of this particular spider.  Maybe it hitched a ride back home to Coarsegold.

 

Trip to the Fresno Zoo

I recently I had the opportunity to go to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo with my mom and sister.  I've grown up going to the Fresno Zoo and must say it's grown quite a bit over the years.  There is a relatively recent addition, the "African Adventure" which I haven't had the chance to see and which is honestly the main reason why we were headed there in the first place.  When I say recent, I mean within the last couple of years--I've been so busy with school that I was not able to attend the exhibit earlier, even though my family are members of the zoo and attend fairly regularly.  The new exhibit is so much nicer!  I'll admit that going to the zoo reminded me a lot of my nieces and how fun it would be to bring them along (though I'll admit they'll have a ton more energy and want to see a lot more than what we actually did last Friday).


We left early, getting there right when the zoo opened.  Going early is a must!  It cuts down on crowds and with it being so hot lately, we selected a day where it was going to be a bit cooler (93 degrees fahrenheit, around 34 degrees for my non-American friends) though it helps to be there before the worst of the heat. My sister was posed to play Pokémon Go and catch Pokémon she had never been able to see before, while I was more focused on seeing the new exhibits.  **As a side note, even though I was really into Pokemon when it first came out and I'll openly admit that I have at least one game in each generation, I never downloaded the Pokémon Go game and I don't think I will--I just have to much going on that I know I won't really get very far along; and if I was going to play Pokémon, I would focus on the ones I can play with my Nintendo DS.



The African Adventure exhibit is very nice!  Wide/open air and even though the pictures don't quite do it justice you can get an idea of how expansive it is.

I know the lighting is a little wonky here, but since he was in the shade my phone was having a difficult time focusing on the elephant.  Figured it was best to see our new friend and not necessarily focus on the background.

This elephant came up close and personal to us!  Our buddy for the day.   There was a hole with food near the observation area and he wanted to grab a mid-morning snack while we were there.

Kelly even got to feed some of the giraffes (the tallest one was definitely the most persistent one of the bunch, he definitely wanted that lettuce!).



We were only there for a few hours, but it was a fun time!

Two years ago...

Two years ago, my time in Sweden ended.  Those eighteen months were difficult, but I met so many wonderful people there and I learned so much more about myself.  I recognized my ability to love and the consequences of my newfound anxiety.  I grew bolder and learned that sometimes I am allowed to have fun even during those serious moments.  My love of writing continued and I fell in love with a beautiful country.

I had the opportunity to see many lives change, including my own.  I grew a greater appreciation of the world from teaching others (if you're curious, I have a list of where individuals I thought were from here).  I worked hard when everything was telling to stop.  I pushed through to the end and I will never regret having the opportunity to live in Sweden.

Jag saknar Sverige.  Jag vet det var för bara en kort tid, men det ändrade mig för alltid.  Alltid in hjärtat. Jag hoppas jag kan besöka snart!

This was from the reunion in October 2014

Countries represented

This is a list of countries represented by lessons.  For one to qualify, I had to teach a full-fledge lesson (so not just a street contact or meeting them at church).  They are not listed in any particular order.  The names on this list stand for so much more than just a number.

1. Sweden
2. Denmark
3. Finland
4. Norway
5. England
6. United States
7. Afganistan
8. Iran
9. Iraq
10. Pakistan
11. Israel
12. Spain
13. France
14. Germany
15. Austria
16. Italy
17. Bulgaria
18. Macedonia
19. Serbia
20. Croatia
21. Hungary
22. Romania
23. Poland
24. Russia
25. Turkey
26. Portugal
27. Lebanon
28. Syria
29. Jordan
30. Azerbaijan
31. Kazakhstan
32. China
33. Vietnam
34. Morocco
35. Algeria
36. Niger
37. Sudan
38. Eritrea
39. Ethiopia
40. Somalia
41. Senegal
42. Gambia
43. Sierra Leone
44. Liberia
45. Ghana
46. Nigeria
47. Cameroon
48. Congo
49. Democratic Republic of Congo
50. Uganda
51. Kenya
52. Tanzania
53. Zambia
54. Angola
55. Canada
56. Mexico
57. El Salvador
58. Guyana
59. Peru
60. Brazil
61. Bolivia
62. Chile
63. Argentina
64. Cuba
65. Iceland

Jönköping - my final resting place

Noted: In mission lingo we you leave the mission it's referred to as "dying" and your last companion/partner "kills" you off.

Gorgeous, beautiful Jönköping!  I can easily see myself living in this wonderful place.  I was only here a short four weeks, but they immensely changed my life.

Kjanela (Syster Fawcett) and I moved into the just vacated couples' apartment in Jönköping... which was pretty dang nice.  Even had a piano in it :-)

Yes I totally took this from the bus haha but you never know
when you need to go on a magic carpet ride!

That first night there we had dinner with Alex where I was properly introduced to him.  We also got to meet with Helen (who I met on exchanges before) and Rikki that first night.

My second day there we traveled to Gislaved which is a cute town that's a ways out from Jönköping by bus.  We had quite a few lessons that day which was very nice.   This lovely statute to the right was along the drive.

Kjanela and I had a blast together.  We spent a lot of time finding and trying to build the area.  We will never run out of things to talk about.

One very memorable dinner with a family was with the Rasmusson family.  All of us missionaries came this night.  They just recently had kittens so that was super cute.  We also played mafia.  During the second round I was chosen to be Mafia and I most definitely won.  I killed off everyone else, including my fellow Mafia partner.  So win through a thorough betrayal mwhahahahaha!  The excessive laughter was most definitely necessary.

We spent lots of time walking!  Which was good because we got to sharing each others novel ideas--a retelling for me and brand new for her.   During the second week there, we went up to Vista Kulle with Lasse and Nema.  I was able to get some really pretty pictures (most of the scenic pictures that you see throughout this blog entry come from that hike).

I did end up getting sick a week and a half into my time here.  Being sick as a missionary is always interesting--I had taking time away from missionary work (always feels a bit guilty to do so) especially since I had precious little time left.    We had a slightly embarrassing moment where we street contacted a member.  But she was super nice about it and invited us to teach her the lessons.  She said it was a "MTC" experience for her in preparation for the next life (she was 90 years old at the time).  After the lesson, Kjanela all but forced me to go take a nap to heal up a bit before heading out for some swingbys.  A little girl tried to hold Kjanela hostage after stealing Kjanela's water bottle.

I also had a really embarrassing moment.  We were swingby a former investigator, who was home, answered the door and invited us in.  I then asked if there was a woman home (because we can't go alone into a single's man apartment) to which I received the reply that essentially said "There is no man here. I am a woman and I am alone--is that okay?"  I instantly turned bright red when I realized my mistake.  She thankfully didn't mind too much and she invited us back again.


July 3rd was a busy day!  We traveled to Göteborg for a conference/meet-and-greet with President and Syster Beckstrand.  They seemed really nice and I was a little disappointed that I would only serving them for three weeks in the end--not able to actually get to know them that way.  I also gave my dying testimony--we have a tradition that the last zone conference of the mission, the missionary has to bear their testimony in Swedish and it was my time.  Saying goodbye is always hard, but in the end we couldn't linger since we had to sprint to the train in the pouring rain so we wouldn't miss our connecting train back to our area.  So it was kind of a shouted goodbye as I was running past haha.


4th of July! We did celebrate the holiday with the American and British families in the ward. It was a good thing that we won the American quiz (admittedly by just one point).

We went to a smaller town to drop off a wedding invitation at a member's house for someone.  She wasn't home so we were going to do some contacting and head back into Jönköping.  But we learned that the bus would take over an hour to come again, so we walked to the train station.  The train station was small enough that it had this sign, which essentially says that if you want the train to stop, turn the sign so that it signals the train.

I was thinking about the concept of love at the time.  One of my better friends in Örebro was going back to Africa even though he knew it was going to be incredibly dangerous for him to do so.  This meant that I was going to miss him when I visited Örebro at the end of the month.  I don't know why certain things happen--but I just need to do my best to learn from those experiences. My ultimate goal in life is to just be happy--I learned a lot about happiness and love while on my mission.  Love for friends, love for family.  The deep feeling of truly caring for the well-being of others and wanting to serve them.  I always have a torn desire/wish of being able to see into the future, but not wanting to know the unknown at the same time.  At this time, I had a hard time seeing past August 2014.  I just kept wondering where I would be ending up in the end: California? Utah? Elsewhere?  

Kjanela and I tried to continue to do service here and there.  We tried to "doorbell" ditch Rikki and totally failed... we were way too loud!  But it's the thought that counts?  

On the 9th--two weeks before I was headed home, Kjanela and I were making lunch before heading out for the day.    I was slicing zucchini when the knife slipped and sliced my finger.  So being the nice and clever person I am, I just quietly go to the bedroom to take care of it since I knew Kjanela wasn't particularly found of blood.  I was getting a bandaid and some medicine from the closet when I noticed that the edges of my vision were changing and I have the thought "Oh no, I'm going into shock.  I cannot go into shock." 

The next thing I knew a weird rushing feeling was going through my mind.  I was worrying about Rikki and Helen and how we needed to do something for them and it was then I realized that the rushing feeling wasn't normal and that I was lying on the floor.  It took me a few seconds longer to realize I wasn't supposed to be on the floor, that my head was really pounding, and that my finger was still bleeding.  Once I had enough control of myself, I bandaged my finer and walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table - shaking a ridiculous amount, before I tell Kjanela, "We have a problem.  I just fainted."  

I ended up giving myself a slight concussion. The cut itself wasn't actually all that bad, like it didn't need stitches or anything.  There's just something about the sight of significant amounts of my own blood. So the next few days were interesting since I needed to recuperate... riding buses and trains were not a good idea.  We did keep our lesson with Rikki that day... which was interesting.  I just remember it was in the park and I don't remember much of it.  

It rained a lot my month there.  But lots of rain means plenty of vivid rainbows!

Actually I don't remember the weeks after my concussion particularly well---a little more on the hazy side haha.  I do remember that Swedish was particularly difficult for me at the time.  I also remember that I had absolutely no filter, so anything I thought came out of my mind, for better or for worse.  We starting preparing for a music night that would take place my last Sunday as a missionary--learning new pieces was a bit interesting for me at the time.  I started feeling significantly better a week after the incident.

My last week had a lot of piano playing/practicing.  Even had a music lesson with Rikki wear we focused on how music can influence you in your life, where I played quite a few songs.  We found out that Rikki really likes Jolly Ranchers (almost to the point where he had too many of them, so now he doesn't really like them as much anymore).

Service at the Strömbergs helping Melanie in her garden.   We helped removed some stubborn plants including a rhubarb with gigantic roots that was extremely difficult to dig up, but with all of us working on it, (both sets of sisters and elders were there) we were able to get it out.  I was just excited because I got to play with her grandson quite a bit--though we did end up losing half of my nametag in the process).

We were able to celebrate Helen's birthday.  I baked her a cake which she really enjoyed.  Rikki made sure to scare her.  We had invited Alex and the other missionaries to attend and it was a lot of fun.  It was nice to spoil Helen for a bit.

My last sunday (July 20th) I played a musical number at church with Elder Farley (again haha, him on cello with my accompanying him on the piano).  We had the musical night/recital that night and everything went incredibly well!  All of the sisters in our district (the other Jönköping sisters as well as the Borås sisters) ended up staying the night at our apartment.  We made pumpkin cookies and just talked which was nice.

The other missionaries in Jönköping gave me a funeral on Monday (July 21st)--the view from the park we were at was gorgeous!  I loved it :)

We completed all of the last minute errands we needed to do before Tuesday (since Syster Fawcett was heading up to Stockholm a day early so she could be trained on how to train new missionaries--she was going to train a new missionary as soon as I left).  We had one last lesson with Rikki which went well and ended up with me deciding officially to come back the next Saturday to Jönköping with my family.  On Tuesday, it was hard saying goodbye to Kjanela, but it helped that I knew I could see her again in a few days.

On Wednesday, I traveled up to Stockholm by myself, meeting up with the other missionaries going home.  I even got to see Camille at Stockholm central station and we made plans that my family and I would take her and her new companion out to dinner the next day.  We drove to the temple from the central station and it was a surreal experience.  So many memories of the past year and a half.  That evening we spent in the mission home with President and Syster Beckstrand.

I will forever love Jönköping and how my time there altered my life forever.  

Kungsbacka Part III

I'm going to write a bit about every day as taken from my journal.  The one thing that I didn't really mention in my writing is that every night we were trying to clean out our apartment bit by bit (which steadily increased as time went on) since you could tell missionaries had been staying there for years with lots of accumulation of random things.  I also was telling the story of my book trilogy to Candace throughout our companionship.

June 12th (Thursday) - Candace and I started off our companionship with Elder Morley's birthday so we made sure to make him a cake.  We were able to meet with Saeed again and had dinner with Cindia Mattsson before finishing off the day with swingbys.

June 13th (Friday) - District meeting -> weekly planning -> swingbys.  One of those days where we actually had a girl contact us.  She had lived in the States for awhile to be on a gymnastics team was interested in meeting, but she was off to be an au pair for the next couple of months, so we just exchanged contact information.

June 14th (Saturday) - Lesson with Tomas, and a few new investigators.  One man we contacted him on the street and taught him the entire restoration... little did we know until towards the the lesson, he had recently met the elders, who had tracted into him.  He was super positive though!  We had some more positive contacting experiences, which was good, because the investigator pool was rather low.

June 15th (Sunday) - had a meeting with the elders to discuss the area with the elders after church. Had a really nice dinner with a family from the ward.  Lots of swingbys--I had a bit of a rough day honestly, but it all worked out in the end!

June 16th (Monday) - Normally this would be p-day, but because President and Syster Newell were shortly leaving for home and we had our last Zone Conference with them.  I didn't have to give my last testimony as a missionary - that would be July 3rd with a combined Zone Conference welcoming in President and Syster Beckstrand.  I couldn't help but think about everything that's happened in the last 17 months.  It was a sad but good moment - utterly bittersweet.  It felt like every goodbye I have in the mission--it is not a "goodbye forever" but rather we'll see each other again.  The Newells did a lot for me during my time in Sweden, and I am forever grateful that I was able to serve under them.  They were definitely what I needed!



June 17th (Tuesday) - Today was our p-day!  Sports was a major theme of the day.  After emailing we headed up to Göteborg and we met up with almost our entire zone to play games.  We decided on beach volleyball which was totally fun but exhausting!  During our proselyting time we ended up playing football (soccer) with the ward because a cousin of one of the missionaries was curious about the church.  She seemed to have fun-we just need to get more young women to come and play!  I felt utterly spent by the end of the day.



June 18th (Wednesday) - A lot happened today!  After waking up and attempting to effectively exercise at 6:30 (hard because of how sore we both were from the the day before) and completing our normal studies we headed out the door shortly after 10.  We were headed to an investigator who lived a three minute walk away, but along the way we contacted a woman and even through she couldn't speak Swedish or English (she was from Romania) she was still interested.  Se we ran back to our apartment to grab a Romanian Book of Mormon - took so digging, but we found one!  We were able to give it to her, because she patiently waited outside for us.

The investigator we were going to visit wasn't feeling well so we set up an appointment for the following week.  We swung by a former investigator, who said we could come back because we didn't look dangerous....  Then we headed off into the mysterious beyond (the part of Kållered I've never been to in the entire 9 weeks I've been in Kungsbacka).  We found some cute neighborhoods to work in later.  This one little kid opened the door and we quickly realized that his parents weren't home and that we should come back alter--so this kid just walks back into the house, leaving the door wide open.  We awkwardly stepped inside enough so we could secure the premises for him.  We contacted others and handed out a Book or Mormon before we headed back to have tacos for lunch.

We headed into Kungsbacka.  Just as our train pulls in we received a frantic call from the elders asking if we could give them our key to the church--they had left their key with the car keys, and their car was being serviced.  We headed to the church to let them in for their lesson.

We then ended up walking the longer way through town so that Syster Richins could see some more of the Northern part of the area and a girl contacted us because she thought we were lost.  We ended up walking and talking with her the 15 minute walk to the mall.  Super cute!  Only religious one in her family and she had just recently graduated.

We ended up tracting a couple of doors - the one that we though was a former investigator invited us to come back, even though it wasn't the same person since we were looking for a man, and she was clearly a woman.  Figured we would find out when we came back.  We found another man who had met with the missionaries before (he didn't realize that there were sister missionaries).  We found this door, which being the Zelda fan I am, I had to take a picture:

It says no advertisements - so basically asking for no junk mail.  I wish that was an option here haha

We then headed across town to meet with the Bomgrens and their friend/neighbor that the elders had contacted and referred to us.  The friend had three cute little kids all under the age of five.  We planned on going back Monday night for some service and a lesson.

We hurried to the train to Lindome so we could teach a man we had contacted the previous Monday as well as his wife.  They asked us to come back Saturdary.  We had another lesson before we went home to eat dinner.  At the end of the day we had 38 unplanned contacts, 1 member present lesson, 3 other lessons, 1 referral received, 2 referrals contacted, and 3 new investigators.

June 19th (Thursday) - Bit of a catch up day for paperwork/area book and a great dinner with some members.  Got an idea for a romantic book haha.  Found out that Elder Morley was going to transfer on Saturday, which was a little quick for a transfer (typically we have about five days notice instead of two and at least one Sunday to let the ward know).

June 20th (Friday) - Midsommar!  We went up to Utby to celebrate!  We participated in the dances around the pole and this was my first time to really celebrate since we had missed it during Örebro the previous year.  We met up with 18 other missionaries and ended up spending the entire day with the others ince it was a non-proselyting day and not one had wanted to set up an appointment with us.  After celebrations and lunch at Max Burger we went to the YSA center  - peaceful day!



June 21st (Saturday) - A lot happened this day, a bit of it rather unexpected.  We started weekly planning before heading up to Lindome for a less, which cancelled when we knocked on their door because they weren't feeling well.  We swungby a couple of people - well tried to.  One guy goes by a different name, but refused to answer by the first name listed on the ward records to it was just awkward.

After dinner we went into Kungsbacka for a lesson and to practice for a musical number that was originally supposed to be a duet between Sister Richins and Elder Morley, but had to be changed to a solo since Elder Morley was transferred. We definitely needed time to choose a new song and get things arranged before the next day.

5 minutes until 6 pm, we got a call from President Newell.  He told us that I would be transferring to Jönköping for my last 4 weeks to be with Sister Fawcett and that Sister Richins would be transferring to Västra Frölunda to be Sister Training Leaders with another sister there.  They would consequently be combining the two Kungsbacka areas into one under the the watchful eyes the elders.  The elders would be moving into our apartment. All of this would be going into effect the following Wednesday. It felt right to me, but it was definitely different than expected!

We had one last lesson with an investigator, practiced, explaining the new transfer to other missionaries and really got home, we really started prepping our apartment for the elders by thoroughly deep cleaning everything.

June 22nd (Sunday) - It was super hard telling the ward that they were losing their sister missionaries.  I know they were able to get sisters again after a few months, but it was definitely hard! Sister Richins sang "Be Still My Soul" while I played.  We had dinner with some members before turning for the night.

June 23rd (Monday) - We spent most of our p-day getting our apartment ready for the elders.  Ate lunch at my favorite little place by the Kungsbacka train station, emailed and rested a bit before heading over for the service I mentioned earlier.  We helped her clean her apartment a bit and get a little more organization back into her life (she had recently became a single parent of three children under 5 and she needed the help).

June 24th (Tuesday) - We got the apartment ready and finished packing.  The funny thing was that there was enough clothes left over from other missionaries in the apartment to fit two large suitcases and a carryon - so we basically had a third missionary's worth of belongings with us.

We started the day with some service, helping a member organize and clean out her storage from 10 to 12:30.  Headed off to the church for open hours and a meeting with the elders, where we were able to tell them about the different people we were working with in hopes our investigators would keep working with the elders even with the sudden change in missionaries.  Last lesson with Tomas and then with Saeed.

June 25th (Wednesday) - I was able to finish telling my novels to Candace a half hour before I was picked up by the Tolleys.  The Tolleys were so happy to see what we had done with the apartment and impressed that with it.  It felt good to leave it in good shape with the Elders!

Otherwise, goodbye Kungsbacka!  Hello Jönköping!

And some more pictures to round off our two weeks as companions (representing 4 different days of our 14 haha):