Reading Rut

I'm having a hard time finding a book to read. This difficulty does not come from a lack of choices, mind you. I have a grand total of 25 books sitting on my night stand.

That's just dumb.

You'd think I could pick one and just read it for crying out loud. I've started several different books, but I just can't seem to committ. I have reading ADD or RADD for acronym's sake!

Jane Eyre is coming to the theater downtown tomorrow. You'd think that would motivate me to read Bronte's classic. Nope. Started it. But I haven't picked it up in a week.

In other news, have you seen these lovelies? My husband purchased them for me for Christmas (after I emailed him links from the bookstore ;) I'm a fan of pretty books. And a fan of receiving them from the hubster. Back in 1997ish he gave me a beautiful anthology of Jane Austen's works. I've been a fan of his ever since. So, every year he buys me a beautifully bound, classic book. I think these are my faves so far.

Also, check out this fun shirt I found at our local bookshop. It makes me happy. But I get annoyed when I look in the mirror and it says daer. So I took a picture so I could see it properly :) So what should I read next? Do you have any ideas? Something that will pull me in right away. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and I need that outlet right now. Ya know what I mean?

Lark Rise to Candleford

Have you seen this BBC series? I just finished season 1 and it was fantastic.

It's an adaptation of Flora Thompson's autobiographical novel "Lark Rise To Candleford". Sixteen year old, Laura (pictured below), is sent to Candleford to begin an apprenticeship with her mother's cousin, Miss Lane, who is the town's postmistress. Laura picks up her responsibilities quickly, meats a handsome game keeper, and learns a great deal from her mentor and new friends. Miss Lane is played by Julia Sawalha, who was Lydia on the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice. It took me awhile to make the connection. Actually, it was the hubby who eventually figured it out ;) She's great in this series.

(Look kids--it's Nicholas from North & South!)

Check it out and let me know what you think!

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

When I'm in between books, waiting for that next novel to grab my attention, I turn to a few of the books about writing I've collected. This past week I re-read Stephen King's book.

I heard about this book while watching an episode of Lost with the writer's commentary. One of them said, "If you want to be a writer you MUST read 'On Writing' by Stephen King." So, trusting those crazy and brilliant Lost writers, I ordered a copy immediately.

Most of the book is autobiographical and I must admit I skipped to the section at the end titled, "On Writing." My reason? Stephen King likes to swear. A lot. Consider yourself warned. I hate reading swearing in books. To me it's even worse than hearing it.

Despite the language I really enjoyed reading it. King is honest and funny. He tells it like it is and I found that refreshing.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

On Adverbs:

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops” (118).

On Dialogue:

“If you expect it to ring true, then you must talk to yourself. Even more important, you must shut up and listen to others talk” (188).

On Building Characters:

“The job boils down to two things: paying attention to how real people around you behave and then telling the truth about what you see” (188).

On Theme:

"Good fiction always begins with story and progresses to theme; it almost never begins with theme and progresses to story" (209).

On Back Story:

"Probably J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories, is the current champ when it comes to back story. You could do worse than read these, noting how effortlessly each new book recaps what has gone before. (Also, the Harry Potter novels are just fun, pure story from beginning to end.)" p. 227

Favorite Literary Couples

John Thornton and Margaret Hale from North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Discovered this lovely couple last year. Watch the mini-series and then go read the book. Prepare to swoon.

Capt. Wentworth & Anne Elliot from Persuasion by Jane Austen

I read this the summer I went to Europe. It contains one of the best love letters ever. It’s about second chances. I adore this book.

Mr. Darcy & Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Duh.

Eugenides & Irene from The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Subtle. Clever. Heart-wrenching.



Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blithe from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery



First time I fell in love with a literary couple.

Bennedick & Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare


Best bantering couple. Loved the movie version. Very fun play to read aloud.

Look What I Found!!!!!

Remember this story?

Of course I found it six months later. In my car. Where I had looked a thousand times.

Oh, well.

It is nice to know that it didn't drop out of my car in St. George and melt into the asphalt like I had imagined.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Reading Hale’s books are like sitting next to a warm fire wrapped in your favorite blanket drinking salted caramel hot chocolate.

It’s comfort reading.

I’ve read six of her books and I’ve found them all (with the exception of one) very satisfying.

Princess Academy has been on my shelf for awhile. Before I could pick up a copy of A Conspiracy of Kings, I read Princess Academy. I thought it would keep my head in all things royal and destiny.

It’s a charming tale of a young girl named Miri who comes from a small mountain village. She’s small and feels like she’s not contributing to the family since her father won’t let her do quarry work.

When it’s foretold that the future princess comes from Mount Eskel, they put together an academy where the girls will be sent to learn and study and prepare to meet the prince. The girls are promised that he will come to meet them and choose one of them to be his bride.

What appealed to me about this book is that its emphasis isn’t necessarily on becoming a princess, but rather the importance of education. Miri goes to the academy to learn and discover her unique gifts and strengths. At first, becoming the princess means a better life for her family. But what Miri soon discovers is that her newly acquired knowledge and self confidence is what will ultimately improve her family’s life.

I definitely recommend this one. I'd love to re-read it again with my girls.

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Sophos, the nephew of the King of Sounis, and rightful heir, tells his story in this fourth installment of the Queen’s Thief series. We are first introduced to Sophos in The Thief. Toward the end of The King of Attolia it’s mentioned that he’s been kidnapped and feared dead.

Here’s our chance to find out what’s happened to him.

I loved the beginning of this book. The action happens right away. I liked Sophos very much, though he doesn’t seem to like himself at all. In fact, he’s a great disappointment to his father banished him to an island hoping he'd improve his sword skills rather than his poetry reading.

After Sophos is kidnapped, he ends up as a slave working on the grounds of a ruthless Baron. Not ideal circumstances, right? But here’s the thing—he’s actually enjoying himself. Sophos works hard building stone walls during the day and recites poetry to the other slaves in the evenings. He begins to feel free from the burden of disappointing his family.

Then his life as a slave is disrupted with certain news and he's forced to decide whether he’ll keep his head in the sand or step up and claim his destiny.

It’s not an easy choice for Sophos. He struggles with the idea of bearing sole responsibility for his actions.

“Out among the olives…I thought, as if it were the first time, about what I wanted. All of my life people had chosen for me. My father of the king of Sounis, his magus, or the kings’ other advisors. All my life they had made choices for me, and I had resented it. Now the choice was mine, and once it was made, I would have no right to blame anyone else for the consequences. Loss of that privilege, to blame others, unexpectedly stung.”

What will he choose and what will be the consequences of those choices? Does he have the strength to make hard decisions? Will he always be plagued with self-doubt?

The first part of the novel is told in first person as if he’s writing to someone. I love the reveal of who he was relaying the events to. Next, it’s told in third person. I liked the switch. I think it works. Then it goes back to Sophos's point of view and then back to third person again. Turner is brilliant at keeping each novel fresh and interesting by offering different points of view.

So…now I wait for the next installments. I’m tempted to go back and reread The Thief. I admit I wasn’t that enthralled at the beginning of The Thief. However, near the end, I was hooked.

If I had to pick a favorite of the four I would have to say The Queen of Attolia is my favorite. However, A Conspiracy of Kings is growing on me the more I think about its themes of choice, destiny, and friendship. And of course, love.