My Favorite Hobbies: List-Making and Reading

I was in Barnes & Noble the other day, and I discovered what may very well become my new favorite book. It's called Listography. It's a journal that consists of list suggestions for every entry, i.e. "List the names of every pet you've had," "list your favorite books," etc. I think this was made for me. As a registered listographer (yes, there is such a thing as a "registered listographer;" it's like being a registered Republican, but not really), my life is organized and sustained by lists. I have one for everything. Seriously. Everything.

So, as a registered listographer, which is such a thing, I have decided I must purchase this journal. I actually wrote "purchase list journal" on my To Do List. Under that is "bathe dog" and "finish bridal shower invitations list." My To Do List just spawns more lists, which then must be expanded, perfected, and completed. That's a lot of post-its to keep track of! That's the second reason I need this journal... so I can keep track of the list of reasons why I need this journal.

Anyway, before I list every list on my list of lists to keep track of, I thought I would kick off this list party with a little list. Say that ten times fast. With a lisp.

My Favorite Books Of All Time,
being the official list of books that I considered worthy of the "My Favorite Books Of All Time" list:

1.) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
     This book changed my whole way of thinking. After I finished it, I immediately picked it back up and read it again. One could summarize it as a romance, but one would be missing the point entirely. I would lecture one and make one read it again.

2.) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
     I read it for the first time in middle school, and thought it was a sad story about racism and civil rights in the South. I read it again in high school, and thought it was a sweet and poignant coming-of-age story. I read it again this year, and realized what it really is: awesome, just awesome.

3.) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
     I love Mark Twain. Not only is everything he writes immensely funny, it's thought-provoking and highly entertaining.

4.) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
     What can be said about this series? It's the father of modern fantasy? Check. It's the best movie trilogy ever? Check. Orc-killing? Check. Action? Check. Love? Elves? Hairy feet? Magic jewelry? Check, check check, and check. (Notice: I just made a list within this list)


5.) Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
     When I was a kid, my mom would take my siblings and me to the library once every two weeks. Once every two weeks, for the entirety of my childhood, I checked out this book. I have read it more times than I have read any other book. I loved every single character and dreaded the days I had to take it back to the library. Even now, whenever I go to the library, I have to make a stop at the junior fiction room and look at that book. I pet the cover of it, like it's my puppy. It's strange, I know, but I really like this book.


6.) The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
     I picked up this book on a whim one day, because the cover is very pretty and it holds together many, many pages. I cannot resist long books with pretty covers. I wasn't expecting much from the story, but I ended up loving it. It reads like a fairytale or a poem. It reminded me of the way I used to feel when I was a kid, and I would get so caught up in a book that I would forget that the real world existed and that I was, unfortunately, stuck in it. The story covers a couple generations of women trying to unravel a haunting mystery (I should be a synopsis writer), with short, Grimm-like fairytales woven throughout. 


7.) Manning by Peyton and Archie Manning
     This book is great not only because I am a dedicated Manning fan, but because it's actually a good book. Archie and Peyton are unaffected, conversational writers, and they discuss football, family, growing up in the deep South, and just growing up. It's funny and engaging... unless you're a Patriots fan. But that doesn't matter, because all Patriots fans are illiterate and the most engaging thing in a Pats fan's life is watching Tom Brady cry over his long hair or something. Ahem... what was I talking about? Books? Right, moving on... Tom Brady is a pansy!


8.) Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose
     I am a registered history buff (you can register for anything, nowadays), so I love Stephen E. Ambrose, but this remains his standout book to me. It reads like a novel, not a lecture. The men in the novel are not portrayed as superheroes or as being unrealistically perfect. They are men, who followed orders to protect their country, and learned the hard way how damaging war is. The men in the book aren't Captain America, but that's what made the story so perfect. It successfully achieves Aristotle's theory of catharsis through tragedy. Besides the human interest element, it offers a detailed history lesson of Europe in WWII, which is precisely why my brother loved it so much. I tried explaining the catharsis thing to him, but he just said he liked all the pages describing the weapons they used... *sigh* Greek theory is lost on him.


9.) Hamlet by William Shakespeare
     Technically not a book, but I've never actually seen it acted out (Mel Gibson does not count), so I'm considering it a book. This is by far my favorite Shakespeare play. (Second? Macbeth, followed by Much Ado About Nothing). It's so dark and, at times, extremely confusing, but you can't help but root for Hamlet to succeed, even though the man is freaking crazy and his only goal is to kill preeeetty much everyone around him. There are only two characters in literature that maintain their craziness while still making the reader love them: Hamlet and Scarlett O'Hara. And Kate from Taming of the Shrew (especially Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal in the 1967 film.) And Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment. And Catherine and Heathcliff... Okay, consider my previous point about unlikeable characters moot. Moving on.


10.) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
       Of all Twain's novels, I found this one to be the wittiest, the most satirical, and the funniest. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are mischievous, Joan of Arc is moving, but Hank Morgan is hilarious. There's other stuff in there too; maybe some allegories and social commentaries and such, but the humor stands out the best. 


Okay, so there it is in all it's glory. My top 10 favorite, best-loved, most read books of all time. I love lists and books, and lists about books, and even books about lists. 


What are some of your lists?


Sarah

Name them one by one

"When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

My Blessings (in no particular order):

1. My mom

2. My dad

3. My brother

4. My sisters

5. My dog

6. My cat

7. Books. All of them.

8. My primary class

9. My aunt Jodi

10. My grandparents

11. My aunts and uncles Karen and Richard, and Lori and Nate

12. Karen and Richard's, and Lori and Nate's beautiful children

13. The existence of a little series called The Lord of the Rings

14. Black-and-white movies playing all day on TCM

15. My relatively good health

16. Two working legs

17. Two working arms

18. Two working eyes

19. Glasses for my two working eyes

20. Shoes

21. Enough food

22. Enough clothes

23. Warm showers early in the morning

24. Warm rain late in the day

25. Hot pink nail polish

26. Snickers candy bars

27. Did I mention books?

28. Being literate

29. The opportunity to receive an education

30. Music-- all music.

31. Specifically, hymns.

32. Also, country music.

33. Football

34. Basketball

35. A sunny day followed by a rainy day followed by a sunny day...

36. My ward's bishopric

37. The fact that my bishop's sweet family lives across the street

38. The two princesses in my primary class who always ask so sweetly if they can sit by me

39. Those same two princesses who always raise their hands before talking

40. The funny little boy in my primary class who, for some reason, has to strip down to this trousers every class, and then redress himself. He always gets his shirt caught in his zipper and I'm not quite sure what to say to him when he unbuttons his shirt halfway in singing time... I laugh, but I'm not sure if this is the appropriate response...

41. Bonanza on TV every afternoon.

42. Little Joe. ;)

43. The fact that I was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and that I have been blessed enough to know it is true my entire life.

44. New dresses that take off 10 pounds.

45. Dancing.

46. The beautiful little corner of the world that is Idaho.

47. Idaho is my home.

48. Because Idaho is my home, I get to witness every day how much our Heavenly Father loves us. The forests, the wildlife, the mountains, the serenity found within those undisturbed recesses of nature-- all give testament to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love for us.

49. Joseph Smith

50. Thomas S. Monson

51. The warm, soft blanket on my bed

52. The warm, soft socks on my feet.

53. My car

54. My camera

55. This: http://youtu.be/Hv3aOjliuh8

56. People that make me laugh (see no. 55)

57. Pictures of horses (I'm allergic to horses, but not pictures of them)

58. Those moments when I feel so lonely and unwanted, but then I receive a text from an old friend or my brother asks me to play Rock Band or my parents thank me for my help.

59. My dog-- I said this before, but I love that she comes into my room when I'm getting dressed in the morning and she listens to me talk or sing or grumble when I stumble over my pant leg. She even helps me pick out my outfit for the day.

60. New, oversized, cozy sweaters.

61. Old, oversized cozy sweaters... those that are so worn that the fleece isn't soft anymore, but it's still comforting to wear.

62. Potatoes... mmmmm :)

63. Warm days, when the children in my cul-de-sac go outside to play, and we open our windows. I can hear children laughing-- laughs that start deep down in their toes-- and basketballs bouncing and mothers talking and lawnmowers roaring. Summer.

64. Flowers.

65. My mother's flower garden.

66. Whenever my grandparents on either side come to visit, they bring mass amounts of food-- oranges, peaches, jam, cheese curds, apples, peppers, potatoes, cherry cordials, Violet Crumble candy bars.

67. My grandma Trauntvein came over here from Australia. I'm glad she did.

68. I love my grandma Trauntvein.

69. I love hearing her stories about Australia.

70. Amazon.com

71. Book City Used Books

72. Barnes and Noble-- it's very expensive, but I have made friends with many of the employees there and they all know what I like. And they don't mind that I never buy anything. I just sit down with a pile of books and read until my eyes hurt.

73. The smell of Barnes and Noble.

74. The smell of the coffee aisle at the grocery store.

75. The smell of old books.

76. Former best friends-- even if we aren't friends now, I have 20 years of memories that I wouldn't have if I it weren't for her. It pains me that we won't make any new memories, but I'm thankful for those that I do have.

77. Jane Eyre, the book and the 2011 movie. They both changed my way of thinking.

78. To Kill a Mockingbird. The first book I ever read that actually changed my life. Up to that point, books were just entertainment. After that, books meant new ideas, new thoughts, new ways to live and think and act.

79. Tom Hanks. I just love Forrest Gump, and Tom Hanks seems like a really nice guy.

80. Comic books and movies based off of them.

81. "How It Should Have Ended" videos on YouTube.

82. YouTube, for the most part...

83. Missionaries.

84. Soldiers.

85. Families of missionaries and soldiers.

86. When I'm crying alone in my room, and one of my pets knocks/scratches on the door.

87. The Princess Bride ("No more rhyming, and I mean it!"-- "Anybody want a peanut?")

88. The Three Amigos ("Do you have anything not Mexican?"; "Great, you've killed the invisible swordsman!")

89. Monty Python and the Holy Grail ("You must bring us... a SHRUBBERY!! And you must cut down the largest tree in the forest with... a HERRING!!")

90. Mostly, the fact that I'm alive and that I can enjoy all these things.

Have a good day.

Count your many blessings, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Sarah

Seriously, I Should Be A Casting Director

So, there's a week left of Christmas break. Christmas was pretty great and all, but the highlight of my holiday occurred today, at approximately 5:07 PM.

My brother, Spencer, and I officially finished casting our Justice League movie. Yeah, we're big time movie makers. Ever seen Inception? The Lord of the Rings? Yeah, those were us.

Okay, maybe not. But we like to pretend.

Anyway, Spencer and I have been working on this list for a long time. A really long time. I think we can all agree that the Justice League can/will beat the crap out of the Avengers any day, any where, every time. Yet, the Avengers get a movie, and Justice League gets Christian Bale. So, we cast it, as if we're actually going to make it. Ready? Seriously... ready? I don't think so. But I'll tell you anyway.

Superman: Henry Cavill.

Yes, I realize he's already cast as Superman: Man of Steel. But I like him. He is really good-looking. And he has muscles. Lots of them. I like him. And he's a pretty good actor, too. ;)

Batman: Michael Fassbender.

He needs some serious muscle building, but he already has the "I am Batman" voice going on, and he's very tall, dark, and handsome.

The Flash: Ryan Reynolds.

He was the Green Lantern, but I didn't love him as Hal Jordan. He would be better as a youthful, cocky guy who runs fast and experiences some kind of emotional conflict, resolution, and subsequent growth. Because that's what Ryan Reynolds does, and he's good at it. Side note: Look at that picture. Look at it!! It is beautiful. ;)

Green Lantern: Sam Worthington or Isaiah Mustafa (the Old Spice Guy).

In the early days of the Justice League, the Green Lanterns were Alan Scott and Hal Jordan. In the 70's, he changed to John Stewart. I've seen cartoons/comics featuring Jordan and some featuring Stewart. Ryan Reynolds played Hal Jordan in the movie that just came out. So, if this were to become a movie, really either one would work. In the case of Alan or Hal, Sam Worthington would be a great Green Lantern, and Isaiah Mustafa would make an awesome John.

Wonder Woman: January Jones.

She was super cheesy in X-Men: First Class, but the woman is beautiful and (please don't judge me for this) would be able to pull off that horrible outfit. Very few women would be able to do that.

Martian Manhunter: Daniel Cudmore.

Many people probably don't know who this guy is. I only know him from X-Men. He played Colossus. He is a tall man. Since John Jones, aka Martian Manhunter, aka J'onn J'onzz, is going to be CGI anyway, you don't really need anything more than half decent acting skills. And Daniel Cudmore looks a little like him, even without any fixin's. Also, there are many pictures of shirtless men on this list. I like it.

Aquaman: Sean Bean.

Boromir. Enough said.

I am so proud of this list. Ridiculously proud. I am printing this off and framing it. So proud of myself. So who would your casting choices be, for this movie or another?

Post Numero Uno

Good day, all! (By "all" I mean the one person who will read this blog... probably just me... So hey!)

I noticed that everyone and their dog (sometimes literally, which worries me) has a blog. Most people post about how awesome their life/school/husband/creative skills are. I am jealous of these people. I have no life/school/husband/creative skills. That isn't entirely true-- I am living and I am a full-time student, so I do have a life and a school. But the point still stands. Everyone posts happiness and good times to their blogs, and I am happy for these people, but there are enough of those blogs. So, I guess I am going to post hilarity (I must warn you, I think I am a lot funnier than I actually am), photos I like, stories I write, and tall tales that I will insist are true. I may even attempt to write some poetry. I apologize ahead of time. Even my limericks are terrible.

For anyone who sticks with me and reads this, thank you! You must be very bored. Or Katherine Thornock. I love you either way.