Managers of Their Homes

Yes, I have started yet another book. This one I am going to whiz through though.

I ordered this with some of my kids' curriculum. I have been eyeballing it for quite a while and finally took the plunge and ordered it.

Basically it is a book written for homeschoolers on scheduling their school within the framework of running a household. It is definitely written from Christian perspective, as the second chapter deals with scheduling a personal time with God above all other things.

Besides feeling only slightly inferior about having only two children and still needing this book (most of the model families in the book have 4+ kids...one has 8), I feel it is a great addition to my library. It is easy reading, which is good because I'm anxious to get to the workbook section before our school year starts in a couple of weeks....yikes!

My only fear in reading this book is that I will realize that I really don't have time for reading or blogging....

I am soooo weak.

Last night I bought another book. Another fiction book. After clearly confessing that I desire to break out and read other types of books, I succumb and purchase (and begin reading that very night) another work of fiction. {sigh}

Here is the culprit:

Less than $7 at B&N. What can I say?

Here is why I bought it and read two chapters in the bathtub last night:

1. It is about Vlad the Impaler aka Dracula. I actually know very little about the history of Dracula other than the fact that his character and all of his lore is based on the actual historical figure from the Middle Ages that I just mentioned. I've been searching around this morning reading a bit more about him and legend vs. actual fact. Here's a few websites I found:
http://www.vladtheimpaler.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_III_the_Impaler

I need to probably point out here that I do not normally read books about vampires. I have never read an Anne Rice novel. I've never seen the movies. I watched a movie about Dracula (B&W) when I was little, and it scared me senseless. I cannot handle that type of horror. This book is not a horror novel. It is more of a historical mystery, with perhaps just a touch of creepiness.

2. It is loooong. Over 650 pages! So I definitely felt like I was getting my money's worth.

3. It's summer. Something about summer changes my choice of books. Summer is associated with fun. As I've mentioned before, I'm not having fun reading Ben Hur, but I'm determined to finish it. I feel like I'm helping myself by reading this book at the same time. Pitiful, but true.

4. I'm a sucker for anything medieval.

5. I'm a sucker for cheap hardbacks.

6. I'm a sucker for smart, cool-looking books.

7. I'm a sucker.

So there you have it. I'll let you know how it goes...

Which copy would you read?

You may have noticed that I recently added Ben Hur to my reading list. And as you can see I actually own two copies from which to choose. Let me tell you why...

The copy on the left I have had since I was 9 years old. I was kind of a strange child. My school was hosting one of those book fairs in the library, where you could go during your recess or after school and browse racks and racks of new books for sale at discounted prices for the students. Well, my mom gave me some money one day for it, and Ben Hur was what I chose. I had seen the movie, so probably thought I could handle the book. I can still remember the lady who took my money smirking at me, as if to say, "Awww, how cute! Look at this little girl buying this great big book..." Well, I never did read the book, but I have always felt compelled to hang on to this copy.

The other copy I found browsing the shelves of an antique store in Pennsylvania. The copyright date is 1900, and I paid $3 for it. A few of the pages are a little loose, but otherwise it's in pretty good shape for over a century old.

So, when I finally decided it was time to actually read this novel instead of just lugging along these copies for sentimental value, I had to choose. My heart was telling me to pick the antique that Carol Banks read oh so many years ago (her name was penciled to the inside cover....it's faded, but still legible). My head was telling me to pick the more reliable and newer paperback of my youth, and in some sick, twisted way have revenge on the smug, patronizing library lady by finally conquering it.

Well, my head won. I'm reading the paperback. I have to admit that so far this book is a bit of a struggle. Well, I'll just be honest...I've been bored. I don't remember enough of the film to inspire me, and all I have to tempt me to keep reading is the scene from Anne of Green Gables where Anne gets in trouble for reading it during a math lesson because the chariot race scene is too exciting to put down. So I'm hoping it picks up a bit, or the library lady was perhaps justified in smirking at me.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

What an unexpected treat this book has been!

First, let me tell you the story about how I procured this little gem. I found a very new-looking copy on the shelves of our local Goodwill. The newer copies I've since found on-line have an updated cover (to match the release of a movie, I think), but this one was uncreased and unsmelly, which are standards of mine for most used book-buying. The blurb on the back was intriguing, so I bought the book for $.99. Later in car I was thumbing through the pages and a rather grubby looking Barnes & Noble gift card fell out. I was able to check the amount on the card with a number on-line, and there was a little less than $8 left on the card. Hot Dog! (If it had been a significant amount of money, trust me, I would have tried to locate the owner of the card...if that was possible. But since it was not significant, Damon and I enjoyed free lattes from the coffee shop one time.)

Well, even without the free gift card, this book was a great find. I would suggest if you like British old-fashioned chick-lit, written in a smart, winsome manner, then run....do not walk...to find yourself a copy.

A Brief Synopsis:

Cassandra, a 17 year-old aspiring writer, allows the reader to peer over her shoulder for a six month period while she fills the pages of three journals about the going-ons of her mildly dysfunctional family during the 30s or 40s, while living in a crumbling old English castle and barely scraping to put a decent tea on the table. The narrative mainly focuses on Cassandra and her older, more beautiful sister Rose, who are both of marriageable age, but have no suitors. When two young, handsome men move into a nearby manor, the fun really begins in a way that is reminiscent of Austen novels. Very, very fun!

I love the voice of Dodie Smith! I was highly surprised to read that she was the author of the much-loved children's tale, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which she based on her real Dalmatian Pongo. She has written some other adult fiction, which frankly, I can't wait to get my hands on!

***Disclaimer*** This is not a book with a Christian worldview. The stepmother, albeit a very interesting character, poses nude for Renaissaince-type painters from time to time, as well as having discreet nudist moments around the castle. These moments are never described in detail at all and are really more of a sidenote. The movie, however, is listed as having nudity, which I'm sure must be Topaz, the stepmom. The movie has an R rating for this reason. Just thought you should know...

Also the sisters both speak at times of having "relations" outside of marriage. Neither act on this in the book. Keep in mind, however, that this book was written with all the propriety of a novel that was published in 1948, so I personally didn't have a problem with what was discussed.

Cassandra and her family, while they do not scorn religion necessarily, are pretty much pagans. Later in the book, Cassandra does begin to ponder the idea of faith, but Christianity plays a very, very small part in her search.

Let me know if you decide to "capture" I Capture the Castle. I'd love to chat with you about it. Happy reading!

The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. It was written by a local in my area about a local historical site in my area. I even saw the author once at one of my favorite local bookstores sitting on a sofa, chatting with the owner. I had wished then that I had already read the book because, if I could have worked up the nerve to do it, I could have said something intelligent to him about his book. Instead I just sort of gawked at him as I made my way to the children's room.

Well, I had put it off for some time, but on Friday Damon and I were on a date, and we stopped by Barnes & Noble to browse, and they had the hardback verion on sale for $5.95....you can't beat that!

So while I am not sure when I'll actually get to this book, it is now in my possession. I've included some links that I found if you care to read up on the basis or history of this novel.


http://www.carnton.org/


http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/widow_of_the_south/review/


http://www.widowofthesouth.com/

My Old and New Favorite Authors

I think it is difficult to come up with a list of favorite authors. I have often read a book that I liked very much, gone on to read something else by the same author, and have found myself disappointed in the next read. So to qualify for my favorite author list, I must have read more than one book and I must enjoy their writing consistently. It also helps if I get shivers up my spine when I find a title of theirs that I have yet to read.

Probably my favorite writer of all-time is Jane Austen. My favorite book of hers is Pride and Prejudice, the first one I read. Her other books have continued to delight and engage though. Her stories are superb, and her wit is sharp. I'm always entertained from cover to cover. This is a side note, but her books which have been made into movies have always been real winners. Sometimes I can't remember if I have read the book or just seen the movie....that's how good they really are.

Jan Karon also tops my list. Her Mitford series books are quirky and fun. I feel like I actually know some of her characters personally. I wish I could live in Mitford. Every book is good, and it is hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to I'd pick Shepherds Abiding, which is a Christmas one. If you can manage to read this around Christmas, it's just that much cozier!

I think that CS Lewis is a genius. I get so much out of reading The Chronicles of Narnia...even as an adult. The Screwtape Letters were frightening and eye-opening. I haven't even scratched the surface of his non-fiction, although I have read a couple. They are on my list...

Angela (Elwell) Hunt and Francine Rivers are among my favorite comtemporary Christian writers. I have to hang my head and admit that I find much Christian fiction sappy, predictable and poorly written. Yet that is not so with these two women. I have read them both extensively, and both have wide-ranging reportoires. My favorite Hunt novel is probably Afton of Margate Castle, one of her older ones. And for Rivers my favorites are the Mark of the Lion series and The Last Sin-Eater.

Betty Smith, writer of the enchanting A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, is another favorite. I think I've read most of her books, and I've loved them all.

I also think I need to add Dave Barry to my list. While I haven't read his novels (although we have one of his co-written Peter Pan tales on the shelf), he just makes me laugh. I don't often laugh out loud when I read, but I've come close to shooting Diet Coke through my nose when I read a Dave Barry column.

My new favorite author, whom I can't say enough good about, is E.D.E.N. Southworth. She is an author of the 1800s Victorian literature who has long been out of print and fairly recently re-discovered by Lamplighting Publishers. They have a few of her books there. After some research, however, I've discovered that she was an amazingly prolific writer, and some antiquated copies can be obtained here and there on the internet. It will be fun to hunt for some of them when I've exhausted Lamlighter's collection.

Some other authors, whom I expect are heading into my favorite's list are Dodie Smith and perhaps Stephen Lawhead. I just haven't read enough yet to classify them.

So do you have any authors I need to explore? I'm always looking for good ones!

Books-R-Me

I love books. I love to talk about books. I love to shop for books. I love to look at books.

I've had a blog for almost a year (you can link to it from the sidebar), which I thought I would use to talk about homeschooling primarily, but I have actually used to talk about all kinds of things. Books are so much a part of my life that I decided to branch out and create a blog just for dishin' on them.

I plan to have commentaries on what I'm currently reading (hopefully without major spoilers) and reading to my kids. We do A LOT of reading aloud in this family, partly because of homeschooling and partly because I just want to. Thankfully, both of my kids are turning into book-lovers too.

If you're looking for write-ups of the New York Times Best Sellers list, then you've come to the wrong place. I very, very rarely read current books. I mostly read classics and little-known gems.

One reason I wanted to do something like this is to encourage myself to branch out a little. I mostly read fiction. I would really like to dabble in some history, poetry, birographies, etc. as well. I thought having a blog about books would possibly hold me accountable for adding that variety to my book diet.

I'm sure there are other blogs of this nature. I'm not out to prove anything. I just personally needed an outlet like this. I'm sure there are other people out there who like to know about what others are reading....I hope.