"Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."
- J.R.R.Tolkien

#QuotsyMarch18 #Ordinary @TK-421

I'm in two minds about this book. On one hand it's certainly not an easy book to read, it's more a book you study, but on the other hand it's a brilliant book on living out a practical Christian faith as a church community.

Burke argues and shows (via stories from his own church) that Christians should get involved in society instead of judging it, that we should reach out to those whose lives are broken rather than shrink away from them.

This book is every protagonists dream, nothing interesting or dangerous happened. There was no challenge for Chris merely minor inconveniences which he just waltzed past, whilst complaining about how hard his life is. The secondary characters are barely two dimensional never mind three, there is no finale and to top it all off Christian has got to be the most boring and bland protagonist out there. Quite a feat considering he's an exorcist.

Another Pratchett quote today from one of my favourite discworld books. 🙂.

#QuotsyFeb18 #Magic @TK-421

"And I...
I used the Knife.
I saved a Child.
I won a War.
God forgive me"

This has got to be one of the darkest moments in the darkest book of the Dresden Files and for me (when in context) one of the darkest moments I've ever come across.

Often, far too often, the cost of victory is the soul of the person who reaches out and claims it.

#Dark #QuotsyFeb18 #DresdenFiles #TheCostOfVictory @TK-421

"Hell Yeah, I'm a Botanist! Fear my Botany Powers!" - Andy Weir

A fun one today ?? #KowledgeIsPower #Power #QuotsyFeb18 @TK-421

The full quote is...

"If cats looked like frogs we'd realize what nasty, cruel little b******s they are. Style. That's what people remember."

#Style #QuotsyFeb18 @TK-421

"Life is easier when you can write off others as monsters, as demons, as horrible threats that must be hated and feared. The thing is, you can't do that without becoming like them, just a little."

I thought this was a relevant quote as our world becomes more and more divided. We can often, in the service of a good cause, become just like the very people we oppose without realising it. Don't lose yourself...

#Dangerous #QuotsyFeb18 @TK-421

It's always a pleasure to listen to the Dresden Files and this wonderful little set of side stories was no exception. I really enjoyed the fact that Butcher set each story at different points of Harry's career, allowing you to marvel at how far his character has come over the main storyline.

The secondary characters were well built and I cared about all of their fates. Overall a great read and worth checking out if you love the Dresden files.

Another Terry Pratchett quote here. He had a lot to say on the subject of Cats. Most of it bad but in a way that shows how much he loved these adorable creatures of evil.

#QuotsyFeb18 #Cats #CatLover @TK-421

Ps I had wanted to use the following quote but realised that he said it in an interview rather than in a book.

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this."
-Terry Pratchett

"I still can't believe," Micheal said sotto voce, "that you came to the Vampire's Masquerade Ball dressed as a Vampire."

Today's word could mean so many things to so many people, home, family, comfort, routine, safety from danger, ect but I often find #Shelter in laughter and sarcasm. As such I give you the literary king of sarcasm Harry Dresden.

#QuotsyFeb18 @TK-421 z

My name: Chris Wooster
My Litsy Handle: Jace Proir
How I got my handle: Long story! I've been writing under the name John (for my Grandfather) Proir (my Grandmothers maiden name) for a while now, and as I'm strange I gave my alter ego a middle name 'Christopher' (because I'm lazy!). Leaving me with John (or Jonathan) Christopher Proir. In the mortal instruments Jonathan Christopher is shortened to Jace, hence Jace Proir. 😄
#LitsyHandle @Chelleo

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - Albus Dumbledore

I might be a bit early with this one, but it's the 5th here in the U.K. (Just about anyway!).

#QuotsyFeb18 #Mood #Potterhead #Depression @TK-421

"Despite Rumour Death isn't cruel - merely terribly, terribly good at his job." ?

You can always trust Terry for an awesome quote! #QuotsyFeb18 @TK-421

Just finished this on audiobook, and am just thinking that there are so many good quotes in it that I'm going to have to buy it in book form. Especially to share on Litsy!

Am also thinking that I have now stayed up all night listening and that I definitely should have more regrets about the lack of sleep. #NoRegrets 😅😴

Heart warming, gut wrenching, heart breaking...

These are just a few of the words that came to mind when I was listening to this wonderful, wonderful book. I honestly smiled like an idiot from start to finish, all while my heart ached with Simons.

It has been said that you understand love when the love songs make sense, well they now make more sense than they used too. Whether you are straight or gay, male or female this book is a must read.

I'm not sure I've ever resonated so much with a protagonist, I feel what he feels, I absolutely despise those that would harm him. I don't even think that the obvious similarities between us account for this level of connection, because this isn't just a book about sexual orientation. It's about getting to know yourself and who you decide to let in on the secret and that's a struggle I understand.

Plus, well, you know...

I have always loved Greek Mythology, in this wonderful audiobook Stephen Fry retells this series of interconnected, complicated and often contradictory myths in a way that is charming, hilarious and deceptively simple. Listening to this book feels like being allowed into Fry's living room and listening to his musings on a favoured topic, all whilst he draws lessons from these wonderful stories that resonate within our world and culture today.

"SQUEAK"

One of my friends made me this death of Rats figurine from Terry Pratchett's discworld series and I felt that it would be the perfect profile pic for my Litsy account. Especially as the Grim Squeaker is one of my all time favourite literary characters ever. #Litsy #Discworld

I enjoyed this series of short stories, but can't say I loved them as a whole. There are several gems in here including 'The Hill', 'Endings', and 'Lightning bringer''. I think what kept me from loving this collection is that they don't necessarily sit well together, fitting into many different genres and styles of writing. Although I enjoyed all of the stories I found the whole experience of reading this collection quite Jarring.

"A bigoted man, he lived in a bigoted age, and was king of a bigoted people"

I think this quote is quite brilliant, it recognises that in his dealings with the Jewish community, Edward l acted in a way that was completely acceptable and normal for his time, while never using it to justify his actions.

It does what we all should do and looks at the man in the context of his era and then criticises him and the era accordingly.

I bought this book thinking it was historical fiction, then found that it was more a biography. To my immense surprise it was easy to read and I enjoyed it enormously. Morris takes you on a journey through Edward the 1st's life from his frustratingly controlled teenage years to his slaughter of the Scots, and while in no way condoning his most vile actions he does show how the events of Edward's life led him to become a great and terrible king.

In many respects this book is like the geological events that it's characters cause and manipulate. Drawing on the tensions and suspense developed in the obelisk gate, the story builds slowly. Like a volcano building towards its eruption or the shifting of tectonic plates, the stone sky rumbles unstoppably towards its ridiculously epic and brilliantly satisfying conclusion. In this trilogy Jemisin has written one of the true epics of our time.

"But there are none so frightened, or so strange in their fear as Conquerors...
... Conquerors live in dread of the day when they are shown to be, not superior, but simply lucky."
This quote just struck me. It helps explain so much about the politics of where I live (Northern Ireland) and indeed the somewhat irrational motivations and fears of so many people in this world.

I loved this book, period. I honestly didn't see how N.K.Jemisin could keep surprising me after the first book. Somehow she does, all while slowly and continuously building her characters, their individual storylines and her world. This is a worthy successor to 'The Fifth Season' which introduces and builds an impeding sense of doom and suspense to the series, yet still delivers one hell of a climax. All I can say is bring on 'The Stone Sky'

A very satisfying end to a quirky but excellent series! These books, for all their lightheartedness, raise questions about technological immortality, what it means to be human, love, loss and possibly most importantly what it means to be an individual. With the Bobiverse Taylor has created an absolute gem of a story and hopefully brought the debate about our future as a species to a whole new audience. Well worth a read folks!.

I must admit I didn't expect much from this book when I picked it up on the daily kindle deal, but I was intrigued by the blurb. So you can imagine my surprise when I couldn't put it down! This first instalment of Roselle's story is fast-paced, action packed and full of political intrigue. My only complaint is that some of the world building attempted was a bit ineffective, however in this character-driven story this really is a minor issue.

I'm in two minds about this book. On one hand the world Marie Lu has created is quite fun to explore but on the other her characters and they're actions are not. The storyline was utterly predictable and unfortunately the style of writing does not lend itself to an empathic reading experience. In the end I found that I just didn't care what happened to the protagonists as they just weren't fleshed out enough. Very frustrating...

An incredibly useful and practical little book full of advice on how to continuously glorify God in everything we do (even from nine to five!)

Intricate, intriguing and exceptionally well written.