One of my new favorite things......

For Christmas, I got a Kindle! My cousin got one a while back, and I thought it looked neat, but it was hard for me to give up the idea of holding a real book in my hands and turning pages. I mean, you just can't replace curling up in a chair on a rainy afternoon with a good book. But when some other friends began raving over there's, I started to reconsider.

Well, one of the main things that made me reconsider is the library system here. In KY, we had FIVE libraries within a ten mile radius of our house, with online catalogues to renew and place holds with, and an Interlibrary loan system that brought books from California to my house within a week. Here we have one tiny library, without a lot to choose from, with only a three-week loan system. I never remember to return books within three weeks, so I always end up with fines. And as for the Interlibrary system -- I placed a book on Interlibrary loan in October of 2009. Guess when I finally received it? May of 2010. I had completely forgotten about it by the time I got the call that it had arrived. So, the idea of being able to have practically any book I want in my hands anytime I want it was definitely appealing.

So, I next had to decide between a Nook and a Kindle. Both seemed to have their perks, but I finally took a chance on a Kindle. And I love it! I downloaded Elizabeth Gaskell's entire works -- Wives and Daughters, North and South, Mary Barton, The Life of Charlotte Bronte, etc -- for just three dollars!! Not only that, but nearly all the classics (i.e. really old) books that I like to read are FREE!! I have already downloaded about thirty books and a few games as well. I admit that it's not exactly the same as buying beautiful, gilded books with illustrations and seeing them on the shelf, but the ability to have practically all the books I want makes up for it! This is definitely my favorite new gadget! :)

Charlotte Bronte

One of my favorite authoresses is Charlotte Bronte. There is something a little different about her writing style that sets her apart from Austen, Gaskell, and Elliot. She tended to write her stories in the first person, for one thing. She truly lets you inside the characters mind and describes their every feeling so well that you understand and empathise.

She was born April 21, 1816, the third of Patrick and Maria Branwell's six children, Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell. Her mother died of cancer when she was only five, and her mother's sister Elizabeth came to live with the family to care for the children. I read the first part of the biography Elizabeth Gaskell wrote for her, which described her early years. Her father, a minister, encouraged all his children in reading and studying. He described Charlotte as extremely bright from a very young age. He would ask her philosophical questions to see what she would say and even from five or six years old, she would have an answer an adult today might not be able to come up with. She, Emily, Maria, and Elizabeth were sent the Clergy Daughters' School in 1824. Charlotte never liked to mention those years at school in her later life and, I think, denied that she based Lowood School in Jane Eyre on the place, but the similarities between her life there and Jane Eyre's life at Lowood are to strong for them not to have a connection. They would be given thin soup made of potato peelings and other scraps to eat, the school was cold, and the girls were often sick. Maria and Elizabeth developed tuberculosis while living there and died in 1826.

Charlotte continued her education at Roe Head and worked as governess for several families. Doubtless these experiences gave her inspiration for her novels. She returned home in 1844. The girls had written stories all their lives, but began now to try to get them published. Emily and Anne published a book of poetry that went virtually unnoticed. Still, the sisters determined to take on pen names and keep trying. On taking the name Currer Bell, Charlotte said

"Averse to personal publicity, we veiled our own names under those of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell; the ambiguous choice being dictated by a sort of conscientious scruple at assuming Christian names positively masculine, while we did not like to declare ourselves women, because -- without at that time suspecting that our mode of writing and thinking was not what is called 'feminine' -- we had a vague impression that authoresses are liable to be looked on with prejudice; we had noticed how critics sometimes use for their chastisement the weapon of personality, and for their reward, a flattery, which is not true praise."

Jane Eyre was published in 1847 with great success, though there was much wonder as to who Currer Bell was. Branwell, her only brother, died in 1848, due to complications from heavy drinking, but Charlotte always believed he died of tuberculosis. Emily died also in 1848 and Anne in 1849, both of pulmonary tuberculosis. In 1849 Shirley was published and Villette in 1853. In 1854, Charlotte married Arthur Bell Nicholls and became pregnant soon after. She was given to severe nausea and frequent faintness during the pregnancy. Charlotte and her unborn child died March 31, 1855. Her death certificate sites tuberculosis as the cause of her death, but biographers now believe it may have malnourishment and dehydration from her severe morning sickness. The Professor, which was written before Jane Eyre but rejected many times by publishers, was at last published posthumously.

Her books:

Jane Eyre -- Undoubtedly one of the best books of all time.
Shirley -- I don't think I've read this one, but the synopsis looks interesting.
Villette -- It's been quite a while since I read this, but I remember that it was good.
The Professor -- I haven't read this one either, but I may check it out some time!

Elizabeth Gaskell

Since I just finished reading one of her books, it seemed appropriate to write my first post about Elizabeth Gaskell. She was born in Chelsea, in 1810, the last of eight children, and the only one, except for the firstborn, to live. Her mother died just three months after her birth and she was sent to live with her aunt in Cheshire. In 1832 she met and married William Gaskell, a minister.

After they married, they settled in Manchester. The industrial atmosphere of the place gave her inspiration for some of her novels. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. I read on one site that though her duties as wife and mother were always her first priority, she threw her herself into her writing after the death of her son, Charles in 1845. After this publication, the family rented a villa in Plymouth Grove, where she remained until her death. Visitors to Plymouth Grove included Charles Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Charlotte Bronte. Charlotte Bronte was a dear friend of Mrs. Gaskell's. She completed the first biography of this friend. Charles Dickens, also a friend, published her short stories in his magazine, Household Words. Mrs. Gaskell died suddenly in 1865, at only fifty-five year old.

Her writings:

Mary Barton (1848) -- This is a very, very good book. It is set among the working class people, instead of the wealthy as most novels are. The story was so interesting and the characters were believable people. One of my favorites.

Cranford (1851-3) -- This is on my bookshelf to be read. I really enjoyed the Masterpiece movie version, though!

Ruth (1853) -- This is the book I just finished reading. I checked it out without even looking at the back cover. It is the story of a young girl who is led astray by a wealthy man, but afterwards lives a life of repentance and self-sacrifice. There are no inappropriate passages, and the time of her life she spends doing wrong is a small portion of the book. The focus of the book is how she repents, and strives to live a righteous life following her sin. It wasn't really an enjoyable book, like the others, but it was definitely thought-provoking and worth reading.

North and South (1854-5) -- Very good book. Sometimes there was almost too much information about factories and unions, but the story was very good. I loved the characters. The movie with Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage is superb!!

The Life of Charlotte Bronte (1857) -- This I started, but didn't finish. It taught me a lot about Charlotte Bronte and her family. I hope to check it out and complete it one day.

Sylvia's Lovers (1863) -- Even though this is easily one of the saddest books I ever read, it is one of the best. It is the story of Sylvia, who can choose either a dashing sailor or plain, but good and steady, shopkeeper. The twists and turns are heart-wrenching, but the final scene of forgiveness at the end made me cry.

Cousin Phyllis (1864) -- I haven't read this one yet!

Wives and Daughters: an Everyday Story (1865) -- One of my favorites. I loved the characters and the portrayal of family life two hundred years ago. It is so sad that she couldn't complete it. We'll never know what the last few chapters would have been in her own words! The movie version with Justine Waddel and Keely Hawes is excellent.

She also completed many short stories and novellas.

One of my favorite aspects of Mrs. Gaskell's writing is the Christianity showed in her books. Particularly in Ruth and Sylvia's Lovers she brings out repentance and forgiveness. I am so glad I found her books!

And the winner of the poll is.........

Jane Austen! Somehow, I had a feeling it would turn out that way. :) The poll and the author meme has given me the idea to post a sort of mini-series about some of my favorite authors/authoresses. The posts might be far between at times, but I think it will be fun to do a little research on my favorite writers. So, we'll see.........

I've been tagged!!!

Kaitlyn Michele tagged me for this fun meme about authors!! I had so much fun reading her answers. Now, I'm going to have to think hard.......

Who is your all-time favorite author and why?
That is such a hard one. I love so many authors. I think I have to say Charles Dickens is my favorite author. His stories can sometimes be sad, but I love the intricate plots, the complicated characters, the historical context, and the bittersweet realities of life that his stories combine.


Who was your first favorite author and why? Do you still consider him/her to be among your favorites?
No contest. Laura Ingalls Wilder was my very favorite author for years. I've probably read the entire Little House series twenty times. Laura seemed so much like me, even though she lived 150 years ago in a little log cabin on the prairie. She is definitely still among my favorite authors.


Who is the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?
I'm a little torn here. Technically, it should be Wilkie Collins, because I just read The Woman in White and thought it was fabulous, but since I haven't read any of his other works, I can't count him as my newest favorite author. Elizabeth Gaskell fits here, I think. I first read Wives and Daughters last year, and since then have read several of her other works. They are all so good. She is definitely on my list of favorites forever.


If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?
Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Bronte, Sir Walter Scott

Most of the bloggers I read have been tagged already, so I can only tag one blog:
Elizabeth at http://www.twentythreeandsoaring.blogspot.com/


Rules
Link to the person that tagged you.
Post the rules somewhere in your meme.
Answer the questions.
Tag people in your post.
Let the tagees know they’ve been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog.
Let the tagger know your entry is posted.

An Old Fashioned Girl

I got An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott from the library just a few days ago -- and I finished it just yesterday. It was such a good book! I loved the sweet storyline and the simple lessons woven into the characters' everyday lives. It made me want to read Little Women... again. :)

There is a confusing aspect to Alcott's writing for me, though. Any short biography on the inside jacket of one of her books will tell you that she was a feminist -- an ardent advocate for the Women's Rights movement. The majority of her characters, however, were young girls who tried with all their hearts to make their homes pleasant and happy. Only occasionally can you see the feminist influence in Alcott's writing. In this book, for example, the girls see a statue of "The Modern Woman" who is supposed to be more than a housekeeper, a mother, a nurse, etc, for she will have the right to vote, to work, etc. It's a small portion of a big book, only two paragraphs long, perhaps, but it showed the influences in Alcott's life. What confuses me is that the rest of the book seems in direct contrast to this "powerful woman" image. Polly is a sweet, dutiful girl who works quietly in her home to make others happy. When the girls marry in the end (I'm not spoiling the ending for anyone, I hope), they talk about encouraging their future husbands, helping him in his work, and hoping to make his home happy. So, when I read Alcott's writing, I can't decide if she wasn't as much of a feminist as the biographies make her out to be, or if she tried to tame her ideas in her writing to make it palatable for young girls.

I really liked this book, though. I think it is one that every young girl should read. Tom is a funny, wonderful character who seems practically real and the contrasts that are brought out time and again between Polly and Fanny are definitely thought-provoking. Anyone who likes Little Women or Eight Cousins will love it.

Show and Tell Friday

Kelli's blog hosts Show and Tell Friday every week. Click to see more: http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/



My show and tell this week is my collection of antique and "antique-looking" books. Since I love to read, I have acquired quite a collection of books over the years -- hardback, paperback, softback, illustrated-in-full-color -- you name it, I've got at least one. When we discovered a couple of used books stores not far from our house, I found my favorite kind -- antique books. The ones above are my purchases from those stores. Not all of them are practical. I made the mistake of reading the pink Anna Karenina and the spine cracked, but the pages are the perfect kind of distressed, the type is the perfect size, and, most of all, the covers are beautiful with ornate gold filigree. They probably don't count as "true" antiques, but they are definitely replicas of the original first editions. I think most of them are about fifty years old.
Now this book is a true antique. My friend gave this to me for my high school graduation. The cover is beautiful and all the pages are in excellent condition. This is one my of favorite books, for the story and the book itself!
These are my "antique-looking" books. They are new reproductions made to look old.
These two are gifts from Christmas. The Pilgrim's Progress is the size of a family Bible and contains many beautiful color illustrations.

And this is my complete Jane Austen collection. It is really large, too, but I love the original illustrations and the elegant look.

So this is collection of books. I hope to add to it every year. What would I like to find next? An antique Ben-Hur, any Dickens work, and War and Peace.

Color Seasons

A message board that I read started an interesting discussion about the book Color Me Beautiful this week. Well, it's interesting if you find things like color palettes interesting. :) The idea of this book is that taking a person's complexion, hair color, and eye color into consideration, you can classify them into one of four seasons -- Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter -- with their own unique palette of colors that they look best in. Spring has light, bright colors like citruses and corals, Summer has soft pastels and blues, Autumn has earth-tones with oranges and browns, and Winter has vivid, bright colors and black.

I read this book when I was about twelve and used to follow "my colors" to the letter. I mix things up a little bit now, but I still stay in the basic outline of my color palette. Because I am a Winter, I only wear "cool" colors with a blue undertone, but I do wear a few Summer colors now, especially light blue. I also like chocolate brown a lot, but I never wear tan or orange.

This is a really good book to use as a guideline when you go shopping. There are even some good make-up tips in it, but take into consideration that the book was written in the early nineties, so some of the make-up is a little outdated. Even though it's the recommended color for Winters, magenta lipstick just isn't a good thing anymore! So, I can use the tips that pink tones are best for my blush and lipstick, but in more natural colors. Here is a quiz to see which season you are. Some of the questions seemed stupid to me, but the result was Winter, so maybe it works!

What type of color season are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Winter You are a Winter! See FLAREgamer for more details on which type of Winter you are. Winter 58% Autumn 50% Summer 33% Spring 17%

And so....

I know I haven't posted very much lately. I have had a really bad cold. I caught it on Christmas day and haven't been able to get rid of it. Pretty much all I have done is sit around in my new penguin pajamas and read my Jane Austen book, feeling miserable. Anyway, I think I'm finally getting a little better.

I re-read two of Jane Austen's lesser known books Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park in the last week. It has been years since I read either of them and, since there aren't any good movie adaptations of them, I had forgotten most of the story lines of each. From what I remembered of the last time I read them, I didn't really like Northanger Abbey, but Mansfield Park had been one of my favorite Austen works. After reading them this time, I changed my mind. I actually liked Northanger Abbey very much. I think it was one of Austen's earlier works, not as complicated or detailed as her others, but I enjoyed it a lot. I still liked Mansfield Park and still consider it among my three favorites, but I was really disappointed in the "hero" of the story, Edmund Bertram. It's not that I expect "heroes" to be perfect -- Mr. Darcy is my favorite and he had plenty of flaws -- but by the end of the story Edmund didn't seem to be much different than the men who had been given shallow characters in order to make his brilliance stand out. And yet, he was supposed to be just as wonderful and brilliant at the end of the book as at the beginning. I wasn't impressed.

Anyway, for the next three months, PBS is broadcasting a Jane Austen series. Masterpiece Theatre has come out with several new movies -- Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Miss Austen Regrets, a biopic. They are suppose to air on your local PBS stations every Sunday for the next few months, but when I checked my local listings, I wasn't sure if that was the case here or not. I'm really looking forward to seeing adaptations of the books I just read. Maybe Edmund will seem better in a movie than he did in the book!

Just a few ramblings.......

I don't have anything in particular to post about today. I've been a little bit lazy this week (getting over a bad cold is always an excuse for me to be lazy), but I have managed to get some writing done and a new drawing finished. We bought the Christmas cards this week. I signed them all two days ago, but I haven't addressed them yet. I think I will spend this afternoon doing that. We went out shopping a few times this week also and the weather was actually almost warm! I want to go to a craft store and the fabric store sometime. Even though I keep receiving all these sales flyers from Joann's and Hancock's, so far I just haven't gone.

I have seen a few good movies in the last week. One was The Polar Express. I love that movie. We went to see it in 3D when it was at the theatre. Now that was really cool -- especially when the train was going down the 79 degree grade. It was like a roller coaster! Another was an old movie with Jimmy Stewart, The Shop Around The Corner. I saw this on TCM for the first time a couple of years ago and it has become a favorite since. It is about a man and woman (Jimmy Stewart and I-can't-remember-her-name) who have been exchanging letters anonymously for sometime. Come to find out, they work in the same gift shop and fight all the time. It's a really nice old movie. I also like A Charlie Brown Christmas. I always feel sorry for the poor little tree, too!

I checked out a few Christmas books from the library, too. I enjoy reading Christmas short stories a lot. I began A Christmas Carol this week. One book of short stories in particular is very good. It contains Christmas chapters from different books, such as The Pickwick Papers, Christmas on Plum Creek, and Little Women.

A Great Book...

http://www.visionforum.com/search/productdetail.aspx?search=to+have+and+to+hold&productid=12850

I was reminded of this book by one of my friends when she emailed me to tell me how much she loved it. It was one of my Christmas presents last year and I finished it before New Year's Eve. This is a book you canNOT put down! From the very first page, I was interested in the story (which isn't always the case, even with some of my favorite books), and the great historical content of the book was such that it was like going back in time and living in Jamestown. My favorite character was definitely the hero of the book, Ralph Percy. Our library doesn't have any other works by Mary Johnston, but I should request some. This was easily one of the most beautiful, romantic stories ever!

“We drank of the same cup then, your Honor, and we will drink of it still. We twain were wedded, and the world strove to part us. We stand suffering for that which is right and true, true by the laws of England, and most of all, true before the God who ordained that a woman should follow her husband, yea an though a sovereign should command otherwise!” (Excerpt from pg. 260)

How Much Can I Read?

http://www.boundlessline.org/2007/09/help-for-the-wa.html
This is a blog post Boundless published a few days ago. It's kind of a spin-off from one they posted a few weeks ago that discussed a recent study which showed that one in four adults surveyed read no books last year. Since then, different bloggers have been suggesting book lists and tips for reading. This list, though, is really formidable.

"1. Maintain regular reading projects. I strategize my reading in six main categories: Theology, Biblical Studies, Church Life, History, Cultural Studies, and Literature. I have some project from each of these categories going at all times. I collect and gather books for each project, and read them over a determined period of time. This helps to discipline my reading, and also keeps me working across several disciplines."

All I can say is "Wow!" It's pretty pitiful that I'm struggling to keep a few history and literature books going at the same time.

"3. Read all the titles written by some authors. Choose carefully here, but identify some authors whose books demand your attention. Read all they have written and watch their minds at work and their thought in development. No author can complete his thoughts in one book, no matter how large."

Now, this is something I do frequently. If I read one book by an author and like it, I generally read practically everything else they've written. In some cases, it's not so easy. Do you have any idea how many books Charles Dickens wrote and how long each of them are? I have really appreciated my new "discovery" in Elizabeth Gaskell's writing, though, and I plan on reading a lot of her books.

"4. Get some big sets and read them through. Yes, invest in the works of Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, and others. Set a project for yourself to read through the entire set, and give yourself time. You will be surprised how far you will get in less time than you think."

This is something I really should do. I haven't read nearly enough of these books.

"5. Allow yourself some fun reading, and learn how to enjoy reading by reading enjoyable books. I like books across the fields of literature, but I really love to read historical biographies and historical works in general. In addition, I really enjoy quality fiction and worthy works of literature. As a boy, I probably discovered my love for reading in these categories of books. I allow some time each day, when possible, to such reading. It doesn't have to be much. Stay in touch with the thrill."

This is something I do a little too much of. Apparently, my reading is slightly unbalanced. :)

"6. Write in your books; mark them up and make them yours. Books are to be read and used, not collected and coddled."

Here we totally disagree. I do not write in my books. I don't mind neatly underlining meaningful or important phrases, but I hate to see my books get all marked up. I take my notes in a notebook. I really hate it when I check out a library book and it's all marked up. Just this morning, I was reading a large Civil War history book from the library and saw that someone had scrawled all over the margins of this big, expensive book. Arrggh!

I appreciate articles like this because they push me to go beyond what I usually do. I may read several books a year, but I need to learn to read a variety of books. I have a lot of catching up to do in a lot of subjects! : )

A Great Book

I just finished another one of Charles Dickens's books, Bleak House. Even though I've never read one of his books that I did not like, I am convinced that this is one of the best. It took me a long time to get through it, since it is around 920 pages long, and it has all the twists, turns and complications that you can expect from a Dickens novel, making it more difficult to read. Still, the end was all worth it. There were so many good characters -- and just enough bad characters-- and the storyline was really interesting and full of suspense. As if the book wasn't good enough, Masterpiece Theater has eight hour movie of Bleak House that is outstanding. Definitely read the book and watch the movie, but don't do one without the other unless you have to.