Of Cookies and Books

So, I was reading Scattered Scribblings, and got to Savannah's Of Cookies and Books tag post.  (Apparently this tag just got (re?)started by a certain Elf Maid over at Sunshine and Scribblings.)  At the end her post, Savannah tagged "anyone who has eaten a cookie in the month of July" and I considered myself tagged, thanks to some homemade Snickerdoodles. 

It was hard to narrow some books down, and others came instantly to me.  My two youngest siblings helped me take the pictures.  :)  Here's how the tag works: there are eight different cookies, and for each cookie, I have to pick a book to match the description (whoop de doo).

Chocolate Chip (A book that never gets old)

 The Silmarillion, by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Yes, I love reading Tolkien, and this one especially.  The small copy (the one missing the cover), I take on every trip, as it fits so well in my purse, and I can just read a brief portion and then go back to staring out the window and listening to music for a while.  Tolkien is a master storyteller, and I especially enjoy the tale of Beren and Luthien, and have a love/hate readership with Feanor.  :) 

Dutch Snowballs (A book that gave you an unexpected surprise)

How They Kept the Faith, by Grace Raymond. 

My Dad got me this book, and honestly, when I first started it, I wasn't really expecting anything great.  Just the usual "martyr's tale"....they follow Christ....get persecuted...valiantly stand for Him...then the sad, moving death.  I thought I would read it, enjoy it, and then never read it again.  Ha, I was wrong!  This book had love triangles, heroics, fallings away, sticky situations, scenes that made me cry, and a surprise ending!  I have re-read this a number of times, and have found it to be just a wonderful story!

So I picked this one because it really surprised me in two ways (because it was more enthralling than I expected, and the ending).

It's on my top list of favorite books, too.  :)

Molasses (A book with a character that gets in a sticky situation)

North or Be Eaten, by Andrew Peterson. 

Okay, so I could have put the entire saga in here, but I just picked one book.  Mr. Peterson is amazing at getting his characters into situations where you just sit and think "how in this world are they going to get out of here?????"  And then they get out in some amazing way...and go right back into another sticky spot. 

Oreo (A book dealing with the light and the darkness)

The Mirror Poole, by Timothy Fowler. 

This is just a little book (and I prefer bigger novels), but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.  What made this book instantly pop into my head, was the people in the little village.  They wear white lace...and the bad people wear black lace.  And the better (or worse) they are, the more white (or black) lace they wear.  So when I was thinking "dealing with light and darkness" this one came up first.

Sugar (A book with a sugary sweet villain)

Inkdeath, by Cornelia Funke

I hate him.  I hate him to pieces.  Orpheus.  I can't stand him.  He pretends to be so good...so helpful...with his sweet as honey words.  And the ending he gets??  *screams* 

Okay, so yes, the picture is the first book.  And he's in the second and third ones.  But I just love this cover the best, and also just happened to not be thinking when I took the picture, and now I'm too lazy to take another one.  :)  Not to mention that he kind of ruins the other two books for me - this one is Orpheus free!

Monster (A book that confused your emotions)

The Fiddler's Green, by A. S. Peterson.

(Yes, that is my little "model" ship in front...)  I really enjoyed the first book, The Fiddler's Gun.  Except my favorite character died.  So I went into the second one with a depressed sort of attitude.  Because how could I enjoy it when *name withheld for fear of spoilers* wasn't in it?  And well, I liked the new characters, and enjoyed sailing with Fin and her crew again.  But the ending had me, well...mixed.  It was a cute ending.  But a sad ending.  A happy ending.  A lame ending.  I just could not make up my mind.  Do I cry?  Laugh?  Throw the book across the room?

So if anyone has read it, I'd love to hear your opinion!  (And for those who now are going to read the two books, I will make a note: there is some language, and some "pirate things."  So a heads up.)

Snickerdoodle (A book that made you laugh)

Anything by Patrick F. McManus, really.  But The Grasshopper Trap is what the aforementioned little sisters handed me for the photograph.  He is an outdoor humor writer, and so for someone who has not grown up in the backwoods, running around barefoot, hunting deer, and fishing, they may not be as funny.  But I laugh so many times while reading his books!  My family usually takes a book or two on adventures and read a story or two aloud for fun.  (Disclaimer: some language and occasional innuendos.)

Peanut Butter (A book with a nutty character)

Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue.  Ganoaf is one of my favorite characters in the entire Arrethtrae series.  He's a rather tall man, yet with simple(ton) understanding, and rather childish ways.  But he's wonderful.  Just wonderful.  :)  Even though he acts kind of stupid at times.

The Re-Tag

And I tag Sarah at Pen of a Ready Writer, Kalan at Kalan Olivia, and Jem at Jem Jones, Writer.  I can't wait to see what their book selections are!

Have y'all read any of these books?  Or do you have them on your "To Read" list now?