Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books Of

It's been a VERY long time since I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday. And technically I'm not really participating since it's over an hour past midnight and well into Wednesday! But I saw what the topic was and felt I should contribute my Top Ten since I think I may actually have a good list!

1. RL Stine (42+) - Goosebumps Original Series - Yes, I own "almost" all 60+ books! Any true 80's baby and RL Stine fan would! I also have the first book of the series signed by him!

2. Sue Grafton (23) - Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Series - I own from the letter A to the recent letter W. My grandmother started me out by giving me A through P for Christmas over a decade ago.

3. Glenn Beck (16) - I didn't realize I owned so many of his books till I counted them just now. That's all I'm going to say about that.

4. Agatha Christie (14+) - I mostly own her Hercule Poirot mysteries, but there is something about the book And Then There Were None because I currently have it 3 times on my shelf!

5. JK Rowling (14+) - Soon to be 21. Not sure if owning more than one boxed set of a series counts? But I own the original first editions hard copy and then I bought the set as a soft cover. I'm in the process of buying the UK Editions. I also own Casual Vacancy as well as her 2 books written under the name of Robert Galbraith.

6. Christopher Moore (14) - He's currently written 14 novels and I own them all! Not only that, but I have all of them personalized by him! I love a good book signing!

7. Lemony Snicket (13) - I recently purchased the entire 13 books of the Series of Unfortunate Events.

8. Dean Koontz (11) - I am collecting his Frankenstein and Odd Thomas series.

9. Gregory Maguire (7) - I have all 4 of the Wicked series as well as 3 of his stand-alone books.

10. Kurt Vonnegut (6) - I'm simply collecting all of his works.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Scott, Frank L. Baum, Stephen King, Margaret L'Engle, JRR Tolkien, Brandon Mull, Richard Paul Evans, Christopher Paolini, Robert Ludlum, Brad Thor, Marissa Meyer, Veronica Roth, Chris Colfer, Ben H. Winters, etc.

Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck (Book Review)

Agenda 21
by Glenn Beck
w/Harriet Parke

277 pages
Threshold Editions, 2012
Fiction
Finished in 5 days
Another Review...

My Rating: ★

Amazon.com / BN.com

"They took mother away today."

My Review: I think I have become far too immune to these kinds of books. All I have are reminders of Animal Farm, The Hunger Games, & 1984. They are all the same concept. The government is overthrown and changed so that one select group of people is controlling the others. And they all result in the same idea, that totalitarianism is NOT the answer to the worlds problems. No matter how many times that lesson is lived and learned it does not get old when it comes to an idea for a book. Divergent and Under the Never Sky were no different from the books I just mentioned. The difference is theirs were much lighter and full of fluff because they are young adult books. This book easily falls under those categories.

I know the author of this book believes what happens in the story could actually happen but I must disagree. Probably because I believe American's (myself included) are too lazy and set in our ways to truly be controlled in such a harsh way by others for no apparent reason. Especially if that reason stems from caring for the Earth and animals above myself. I think there is a limit to which we freedom loving citizens can be pushed before we push back. I don't see our conformity to the governments sporadic rules and conditions ever going so far as to cause what is happening in this book. 

Also, the notion of the government being overthrown and replaced with this invisible "authority" whose supposed sole purpose in life is to use humans to generate energy in order to nourish the Earth and the animals that inhabit it just doesn't send chills down my spine. Again, I think it's because I've become so immune to really creepy and bone-chilling writing that when it's too tame (yet possible) I find myself bored. I think that is why, although I finished the book in 5 days they were not 5 consecutive days. I had to put it down and force myself to go back to it only because I hate leaving a book unfinished. Unless it's a book like 50 Shades of Grey!

The Overton Window (which I read but did not write a review for at the time unfortunately) I found to be a MUCH better read for me. If you like Glenn you'll like and understand why he went ahead and published his book. But if you are looking for a book to read by him and it's your fist one, I recommend The Overton Window to start. This is simply a modernized Animal Farm in reverse.

Summary: Just a generation ago, this place was called America. Now, after the worldwide implementation of a UN-led program called Agenda 21, it’s simply known as “the Republic.” There is no president. No Congress. No Supreme Court. No freedom.

There are only the Authorities.

Citizens have two primary goals in the new Republic: to create clean energy and to create new human life. Those who cannot do either are of no use to society. This bleak and barren existence is all that eighteen-year-old Emmeline has ever known. She dutifully walks her energy board daily and accepts all male pairings assigned to her by the Authorities. Like most citizens, she keeps her head down and her eyes closed.

Until the day they come for her mother.

Woken up to the harsh reality of her life and her family’s future inside the Republic, Emmeline begins to search for the truth. Why are all citizens confined to ubiquitous concrete living spaces? Why are Compounds guarded by Gatekeepers who track all movements? Why are food, water and energy rationed so strictly? And, most important, why are babies taken from their mothers at birth? As Emmeline begins to understand the true objectives of Agenda 21 she realizes that she is up against far more than she ever thought. With the Authorities closing in, and nowhere to run, Emmeline embarks on an audacious plan to save her family and expose the Republic—but is she already too late?

To learn more about Glenn Beck please visit his official site.

My Overstuffed Bookshelf Challenge

Monumental (2012) (Movie Review)

Title: Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure

Director: Duane Barnhart

Writers: Kevin Miller & Marshall Foster

Production Company: Pyro Pictures

In Theaters: March 27th, 2012

Run Time: 90 minutes

Color: Color

Starring: Kirk Cameron

Genre(s): documentary

Storyline: [Adapted from the trailer] The United States of America is the richest, freest nation the world has ever seen. But nowadays all signs point to the reality of a sickness in the soul of our country, and history tells us that we’re headed for disaster if we don’t change our course now.

The set of ideas that is being advanced and implemented in Washington at this time is terribly frightening to those who are students of history. If you look at the superpowers of history, every single one of them has called itself “exceptional.” If you look at the Roman empire, for instance, the parallels to what is going on in the U.S. are alarming. And the question is: Are we going to go down the right path ourselves, or continue blithely along the same wrong path down which so many nations in history’s dustbin have trod…?

In Monumental, producer/narrator Kirk Cameron retraces the footsteps of America’s founders to see if they left us some kind of a map that would guide us back to the foundation of America’s success. Typically when we think of the Pilgrims, we recall images from public-school history classes: pilgrims coming over the sea from England in funny black-and-white suits with big, goofy hats and belt buckles on their shoes. But in fact the Pilgrims were the radicals of their day, living outside the box that had been constructed by the British empire. The hardships they had to endure in starting a new life for themselves, in what to them was a newly discovered land, are incredible, and furnish a vital lesson for us today.

Sadly, our history has not just been forgotten; it’s been rewritten. Our historians and politicians no longer maintain our awareness of the founders’ beliefs and values, which resulted in America’s now-fading greatness. Sure, the Pilgrims emerged from a culture that retained slavery at the time—but it was the very faith and values of the Pilgrims and others like them that eventually eradicated slavery in first Britain and then the U.S.

Time is flying by too quickly, and our children’s futures won’t wait. We’ve got to do something now. Sometimes the only way forward … is to go back. There is nothing in today’s America that cannot be solved by a genuine going-back to the first principles held by the Founders. And that’s good news.

Our families are worth fighting for … aren’t they?

Movie Trailer:


My Review: This was a one night only event. When I first heard about it through Glenn Beck I knew I had to see it and take my mom with me. Due to my moms inability to sit in one place for a long period of time and her use of a car company that works on a tight schedule, we were unable to see this movie to the very end. I’m sure we would have been able to if the pre-show wasn’t so long. We would have planned better in that way. Otherwise, we saw about 80% of the movie and it was very educational. More than I had imagined.

I almost wished there were more light in the theater and I came equipped with a notebook and pen to take notes because that’s what the movie made me want to do. I vow to now visit the Founding Fathers Monument very soon so I can see for myself just how monumental it truly is. To know such a monument exists but not till this documentary did I ever hear of it astounds me! It should be discussed and be a school trip for everyone within a 300 mile radius of it!

If you don’t know about this monument I suggest doing your homework and there is no better place to start than this documentary. Kirk Cameron inspired me, not so much by the questions he asked, but by the facial reactions he had once he was told the answers and showed the proof. My shock was confirmed by the reactions of the rest of those in the theater as well. You think you know how we as a society were started? How the Pilgrims came to be here and how we formed from that journey? You have NO idea.

I recommend not only that you watch this movie but that you watch it with others. They may find it corny and unnecessary at first but once they hear the stories and see the proof (especially the part with David Barton) they will end up thanking you.

My Rating: A+

Will You…Run And Tell That?