R.I.P. Challenge

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R.I.P. ChallengeCarl at Stainless Steel Droppings has once again opened up the R.I.P. Challenge. It’s one of the first signs of fall, and the challenge provides the perfect excuse opportunity for indulging in works befitting the season.

I will participate in Peril the First, which requires the reader to read four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose. I have to warn you I’ve never actually finished this challenge before. Cross your fingers for me, OK?

I am not sure which four books I plan to read, but one of them (is it cheating?) will be Dracula because I’ve already started it. I might try to finish Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian and/or Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but I’m not sure, and beyond these potential books I’m not sure which others I will read, but watch this space. I’ll think about it some more and post an update here. Feel free to make recommendations for spooky, gothic, or scary books I can add to my list of potentials.

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Zombie Chicken Award for Most Agreeable Blogs

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Zombie Chicken AwardThanks to Lizzy from My Pride and Prejudice for nominating me for a Zombie Chicken Award for Most Agreeable Blogs. I enjoy her blog very much, and while I hardly feel worthy of the distinction which she has bestowed upon me, I admit that I am very proud and pleased.

So, um, what exactly is the Zombie Chicken Award for Most Agreeable Blogs?

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.

One need hardly tell me twice not to risk the wrath of zombie chickens, so I choose the following five bloggers, all of whom I deem most worthy of braving a raving pack of zombie chickens in order to read.

  • Iliana, of Bookgirl’s Nightstand is most worthy, a true bookworm’s friend.
  • Vic of Jane Austen’s World, from whom I have learned much about Jane Austen’s time period and who is a right smart Twitterer, to boot.
  • Stefanie of So Many Books, whose adventures in reading, library science, and boarding buses have provided me with much insight and entertainment.
  • Roger Darlington of Nighthawk, my online friend and one-stop shop for learning about an eclectic variety of historical, scientific, theological, geographical, and political issues.
  • Murray Abramovitch of The Literarian, for his wonderful reviews and recommendations.

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A Tale of Two Cities

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Charles Dickens’s popular novel A Tale of Two Cities is the first Dickens novel I chose to read. I knew I wanted to read a Dickens novel, and Maggie helped me select this one. While it was very well written and some characters were particularly well-drawn, I had more difficulty following the plot and caring about some of the characters than I expected. I suppose I like complicated characters, and the line between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” was so clearly drawn, they might as well have been wearing white hats and black hats. They weren’t particularly interesting for that reason. Dickens also used the novel as a platform to moralize about the violence, and when it waxed poetic, it was interesting, but the frequency verged on annoying, even though I agreed with Dickens’s views about the violence.

Unfortunately, though this book was shorter than others I’ve read on DailyLit, I became overwhelmed with work in the middle of reading it and had to suspend my subscription for an extended period. I think perhaps the long gap between when I began this novel and when I finished it may have increased some of my confusion. I can’t say, however, that I didn’t enjoy it or that it was badly written, for it is clear to me that Dickens is a master of characterization, and I definitely plan to read more Dickens.

My next DailyLit read, however, is Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, a book I initially tried reading in high school (for fun, no less) and discovered was over my head at the time. If you’ve not tried DailyLit, you should check it out. You can keep track of my DailyLit books progress in the sidebar to the immediate right under the DailyLit section (beneath Reading and Recent Books).

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Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

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I am not generally a big reader of biographies or nonfiction of any stripe, aside from professional reading, but I became interested in Amanda Foreman’s biography of Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, after seeing the movie based on this book: The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire is not quite like the movie, but one would expect moviemakers to take certain license with with truth in the interest of narrative. The true Georgiana who emerges from the pages of this biography is at one less sympathetic and also more interesting and genuine than the character played by Keira Knightley.

I admit I really don’t know much about British politics. Much of this biography is devoted to Georgiana’s work on behalf of the Whigs. She had several friends who were prominent in the party and used her influence to help them get elected: Charles James Fox, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and Charles Grey (1st Earl Grey). In a time when women did not wield much power, Georgiana influenced politics more than many men did. The realm of fashion, she reigned supreme.

More attention is given to Georgiana’s gambling addiction in this biography than in the movie. She borrowed money from many of her friends with promises of repayment that she rarely fulfilled. I have to admit this part of her personality was maddening to read about. The pain it caused her was acute, and it hurt her relations with her husband and friends, but she seemed unable to control it.

Lady Bess Foster, the friend who “steals” the Duke of Devonshire from Georgiana in the movie, comes off considerably less sympathetically and much more conniving in this biography. No doubt Georgiana valued her friendship, but Foreman’s depiction of her character leads the reader to believe Georgiana’s judgment in the matter to be sincerely flawed. In contrast, the Duke of Devonshire is not quite the villain he’s painted in the film.

Foreman includes the Cavendish and Spencer family trees, but I found myself wishing there was a glossary of characters, as so many similar names made it difficult for me to keep up with some of the people mentioned in the book. To Foreman’s credit, she did as much as she could to prevent confusion through repetition and extensive notes. It is clear that this biography was painstakingly researched. Foreman allows the people in the biography to speak for themselves as much as she can through primary source documents quoted extensively throughout the entire book.

If you watched the film The Duchess, you haven’t met the real Georgiana yet. The figure that emerges from the pages of Foreman’s biography is at once more compelling and more intriguing than the film hinted.

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Book Blogger Appreciation Week Meme

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What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?

I would say that reflecting on the books I’ve read, especially at the end of the year when I count my books based on the number of reviews I’ve written, is a highlight for me. I enjoy reading other book bloggers’ reviews, too.

What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?

There have actually been quite a few: Vic at Jane Austen’s World, Iliana at Bookgirl’s Nightstand, and Murray of The Literarian have all been very encouraging of this blog.

What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?

This is a tough one for me because I didn’t participate last year, so I’m not sure what to ask. I am excited that BBAW happens during the week of my birthday. I suppose my biggest question is what would I need to do that week?

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All Austen, All the Time

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Grace has a contest at her blog. You might be lucky enough to win copies of two Pride and Prejudice sequels by Marsha Altman: The Darcys and the Bingleys and The Plight of the Darcy Brothers.

Meanwhile, I watched a friend’s copy of Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley finally, and while I didn’t like it as much as the version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, I did enjoy it. I thought Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet was particularly good.

I had a gift card for Amazon burning a hole in my pocket, and after that movie, I wanted some more Austen. These were my purchases:

OK, so I did sneak some Brontë in there. I do enjoy some of the “For Dummies” series, and this particular book has received some good ratings on Amazon. The others all look very interesting. I have particularly been wanting to read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict for a while because I love time-travel stories. I tried to win a copy, but I wasn’t lucky. Mansfield Park is the only Jane Austen novel I’ve not yet read, and I can’t be a proper Janeite until I do.

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The Big Over Easy

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Jasper Fforde’s The Big Over Easy, the first in his Nursery Crime series, is a hilarious send-up not only of familiar nursery rhymes but also detective and thriller fiction. I am not sure the book would be to everyone’s taste. Fforde’s sense of humor runs toward the silly and punny, especially in this book. Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and his new partner, Detective Sergeant Mary Mary investigate the death of Humpty Dumpty and quickly find themselves embroiled in the “seedy underbelly of nursery crime.” Just as he did in his Thursday Next series, Fforde shows a thorough knowledge and clever use of literary allusion. I’ve heard Fforde’s books described as beach books for book nerds, and they are.

Fforde’s characterization of the murdered egg leaps from the pages, even though he has passed on by the time we meet him. We also meet other nursery favorites such as Old Mother Hubbard, Solomon Grundy, “Giorgio Porgia” (crime boss!), and Wee Willie Winkie. DI Spratt’s Nursery Crime Division is in trouble, and his boss is putting pressure on him to crack this case. Meanwhile, a former rival, Detective Chief Inspector Friedland Chymes, is trying to horn in on Spratt’s investigation and steal the case. Mary Mary isn’t so sure she wants to work with Spratt and his small, rag-tag staff. By the end of the novel, twist after twist follows as Spratt must use all his detective skills to unravel what really happened.

Fans of the Thursday Next series will recognize Mary Mary as the character that Thursday Next took over as part of the character exchange program. While we don’t go to Caversham Heights, we do hear a little bit from Arnold, Mary’s overenthusiastic admirer. Mary does have a little bit of the ring of Thursday Next about her.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who like Fforde’s other books or likes a good laugh over a silly joke.

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NPR’s 100 Best Beach Books Ever

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NPR released the results of a poll conducted to determine the 100 best beach books.

Books on the list that I’ve already read:

  • The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling (1)
  • To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (2)
  • Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (5)
  • Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells (6)
  • The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (7)
  • The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver (10)
  • The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien (14)
  • The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger (15)
  • Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (16)
  • The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien (18)
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (21)
  • The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver (22)
  • The Princess Bride, by William Goldman (28)
  • Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer (30)
  • A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole (31)
  • Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier (36)
  • The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough (39)
  • Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice (43)
  • The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (47)
  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (55)
  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll (57)
  • Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov (58)
  • The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway (71)
  • The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding (74)
  • Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë (76)
  • Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon (77)

Books on the list that I want to read:

  • The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (3)
  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (8)
  • Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg (9)
  • The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger (11)
  • Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen (20)
  • The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith (23)
  • Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel (27)
  • One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (35)
  • Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett (41)
  • Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy (42)
  • Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier (44)
  • Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (56)
  • Dracula, by Bram Stoker (89)—I’m actually currently reading this one
  • Franny and Zooey, by J.D. Salinger (92)

I’ve never read any Donna Tartt, but I’ve heard good things. Would you recommend the book on the list (93)—The Secret History—or something else by her?

Which books on the list have you read? Which ones do you want to?

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DailyLit Bookroll

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I wonder if anyone reading this blog subscribes to books via e-mail or RSS with DailyLit? I’ve mentioned DailyLit many times on this blog. I love it, and my mother and sister are now big fans after being introduced to it. It’s been the best way for me to read books I otherwise might not read because I read just a bit at a time, and for some reason, that helps me more than telling myself I can just read a page or two at a time of a paperback. I’m not sure why. DailyLit books are free if they’re in the public domain, but you can also purchase books (much more cheaply than they retail for, I might add).

I had been wanting to include a bookroll of my DailyLit books on this blog, but I really didn’t like the way the CSS was coded, and the DailyLit folks did not allow CSS code customization. I knew I could alter my own CSS stylesheet to render the code how I wanted it to appear, but I didn’t know the proper title for the div class. I asked for help in DailyLit’s forums, and thought I would share the solution with you all in case you want to use DailyLit and include a bookroll. I guess I really like for people to know what I’m reading! It was bothering me that I could use Now Reading Reloaded, a plugin that helps me display what books I’m reading, but I couldn’t get the DailyLit code to look right. If you want to see what I’ve read and am reading via DailyLit, check out the sidebar to the right and scroll down to the part where my Now Reading books are. The DailyLit bookroll is right under that section.

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Book Blogging

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I have loved reading and books for as long as I can remember. I have been writing about books I read here for a little over five years now. Over time, this blog became devoted (by and large) strictly to reading pursuits (although I may occasionally be writing about Apple Mac and iPhone apps, especially if I think my book friends might be interested in them). I just read all the book bloggers’ posts in my RSS feed. I spent the morning (and a few minutes of the afternoon) watching the newer adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (with Keira Knightley), and it occurred to me how much I enjoy this space to go on about books and how I like to read what others have to say about books as well.

This blog has never received as much notice as my education blog, nor do I receive as many comments. I don’t mind either. It seems like a quiet place where I can curl up in the armchair, one leg over the arm, reading and sharing with a few friends. Or maybe it’s a virtual book club of sorts. I know that blogging here has made me a more prolific reader because even as rarely as I post and even considering how few books I read, I know I read more simply because I want to be able to post about something! I also remember more of what I’ve read because I am thinking about sharing it. It’s satisfying to look back over a year’s worth of reading reflected in my blog. I’m not sure I’d keep a book journal with the same regularity. I guess I like knowing that a few others are reading my reflections.

It is a pleasure to be part of a world with so many people who love books and reading and share that passion with others. It’s somehow encouraging to me to know that so many others share my feelings about books. I am deeply grateful for my fellow book bloggers today.

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