What's Up Lately

I feel like a bit of a bum for not posting much in the last couple of weeks but I think NaNo zapped the Muse clean out of me. I want to write but whenever I think of what to write I am at a loss. Sometimes I think of something terrific to write about but then I forget it before I get a chance to do something with it. What am I doing when I'm not trying to think of post ideas?

• took Goldilocks to her final horse riding lessons today
• reading 3 books at once
• hand sewing a quilt from a friend's grandmother
• watched Cold Mountain and covered my eyes through half of it
• writing out the kids' school schedules for the next 3 months
• planning our Christmas vacation
• played way too much Gameboy
• visited an acupuncturist to have NAET done for hormone issues
• nursing a sick but energetic 5 year old who apparently gets more hyper on cough meds.

All this on top of my usual busy schedule. But the Christmas tree is up and the Christmas music is playing. The friends are near and the family will be soon. I am a pretty happy lady.

Paperback Swap Coincidence

I was printing out the address to send someone two books that were requested through Paperback Swap. When I looked at the address I was confused. It appeared to be printing my address in the mail to section but on closer inspection I found this not to be the case. The requester has the same first name as me but spelled differently. And not only does she live in my city but, this is the strange part, she lives on the same street! When I emailed her to offer to drop off the books in person I find out she is a homeschooler too. I tell ya, some days just weird me out.

The Sunday Salon

I haven't read a thing all day. But before you feel sorry for me, just know that I have had a fabulous holiday weekend of doing nothing at all. I could have gotten a lot of reading done in that time but instead I was playing on a pink Gameboy Lite. Yes sir or madam, as the case may be, I am the reigning Queen of Princess Peach Adventures. It was wonderfully lazy and yet regenerating to my spirit. I think I have been in long need of a few days of nothingness.

But before you bookies go away dejected, I reassure you that I will read a little something before bed. Shackleton's adventures surviving the frozen antarctic should be just the thing.

National Novel Writing Month

The next best thing to reading a novel is writing one so I have joined the ranks over at the NaNoWriMo site. I pledge to write a 50,000 novel in the month of November. I don't know that I can actually succeed but that is entirely beside the point. I will give it my best effort. I'll keep you posted as to my progress.

• Nov. 2nd - 1851 words
• Nov. 5th - 5097 words
• Nov. 6th - 6657 words
• Nov. 8th - 9153 words
• Nov. 10th-10,220 words

Update-I'm afraid I got stuck at the 10th and just can't write any more. It was a great experience and I know a little more now than I did when I started. Like that plot doesn't just happen to everyone as I've heard it for some people. I will be reading up on the art of developing and writing for the next year so I can be sure to come up with something interesting for next year. Thanks to all who encouraged me along the way, especially to my dearest, the Theologian.

Review: Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome
by Edith Wharton
99 pages
First sentence:

I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story.

Ethan Frome is the old looking, disfigured owner of a dilapidated farm in Starkfield, Mass. Just the name of the town tells you about his life. While his neighbors all have problems, Ethan is known to have had abundantly more than his fair share in life. As we explore the events leading up to the defining moment in his life there is no turning back until it is all over with. Prepare for the full gamut of emotions.

The first emotion I experienced was curiosity, about what made Ethan Frome into such a shell of a man. Then there was anger at him because he is pursuing a young lady while his wife is home sick. There is disgust at the wife for being such a manipulative shrew. But soon Ethan redeems himself and sees the reality of his situation. After that is sorrow for the hard place he is in. And finally comes the stunned silence. I thought I knew what was coming but Wharton threw in a curve ball; a couple of them actually. When I finally put the book down I wanted to cry on my husband's shoulder, but I overcame that impulse. =)


I absolutely loved this book. This is my third completed selection for the Reading the Author Challenge. I am so glad I read it. It may be my new favorite Wharton. But then again, I still have The Buccaneers to look forward to.

The Sunday Salon

I have had a smiley, happy day today filled with everything I love: church, a potluck with my friends and family, and 4.5 hours of straight reading. What could be better?

In my mostly uninterrupted reading time I read the 100 page novella Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Last week I bragged a little about scarfing down 50 pages in an hour, well that was kiddie lit. Tonight it was just over 20 pages an hour but it was great. As I checked the clock every 10 pages I was tickled to find it matching up so closely to the half hour mark. And right at the end I sped up because the story really picked up. I knew I had to finish it tonight or I would lose my momentum and risk losing all the emotion that built up with every chapter. I'll share all about it in the review.

Man! I wish all Sunday's were like this one.

One more thing before I'm through, the November Bookworms Carnival is up at The Armenian Odar Reads. Check it out.

Booking Through Thursday

Today’s question comes from Conspiracy-Girl:I’m still relatively new to this meme so I’m not sure if this has been asked yet, but I’m curious how many of us write notes in our books. Are you a Footprint Leaver or a Preservationist?

I have never been the type to write in any book. When I started reading The Well-Educated Mind I was surprised that Bauer recommended taking notes in the books. She says it's a sign of ownership. To me it just looks messy. If I spend money on the book I want to preserve it. Instead I write my notes in journals and writing pad.

Another reason I don't write in my books is because when I buy a used book, it really bothers me to find someone else's scribblings all over it.

Review: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
251 pages
First Sentence:

Nat lay very still in the dark, trying to stay awake until his big brother, Hab, went to sleep.

Thus begins the story of Mr. Bowditch, the young American who wrote the definitive book of navigation during the time of President Washington. Nathaniel Bowditch was recognized as a math whiz at a very young age but was pulled out of school when he was 12 to serve an indentureship because the family was too poor to feed so many mouths. Along the way he was given some great advice that helped him to continue in his personal studies. He taught himself Latin, then French, then Spanish. He learned the particulars of navigation and then taught it to his crew aboard ship, making note of how he had to explain it so as to be understood by men with little or no education. He knew from experience that education gave men the ability to transcend their family backgrounds and current poverty. It was free but it gave endless benefits. Mr. Bowditch led a hard life but he never let it discourage him from continuing his own self education or helping those around him to improve their lives.

On the back cover of the book is this excerpt:

When Jean Lee Latham was told she couldn't possibly write an interesting
biography about a "human calculating machine,' she set out to do just that. She studied mathematics, astronomy, oceanography and seamanship beginning at the Junior High School level and "working up to Bowditch." ... Carry On, Mr. Bowditch further proves a contention of hers that a mathematician can be human and interesting.

I too believe that every life has an interesting story to tell. And I too believe that education is a key to a better life. This story was interesting and fun. It was positive and encouraging. I very much enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone 10 and older. It's just the kind of kiddie lit I like to read.

This was my first completed novel for the Seafaring Challenge, the 5th selection for the Newbery Award Challenge (winner for 1956), and could count for the Book Awards Challenge as well.

The Sunday Salon

I had another busy Sunday today that kept me from reading as much as I would have liked but I eventually got an hour here (while I was cooking dinner) and an hour there (once the kiddos went to bed) to devote to the relaxing pastime. And it was productive too. I finished Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. The review is forthcoming. I read 25 pages the first hour and 50 pages the second. That second hour is my normal reading speed, which is not to say that it's fast or something to be proud of but at least it wasn't the big disappointment that last week was.

Next week is not looking too promising for solid reading time either as I have a Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck with friends but I will see what I can do. Have a great coming week. I hope you get lots of time to read.

Review:Ghost Stories

The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton
304 pages

If you've been reading me for any length of time you already know what a huge fan of Edith Wharton I am. I find her writing to be so easy to rest in. What I mean is that I get so caught up in the story that I forget that I'm actually reading a book. It's not the vividness of the descriptions, though the descriptions are plentiful. It's something clear and unnoticeable about the writing that I find hard to describe. Her ghost stories are not all wonderful and not all in such a flowing and descriptive manner but they are all Wharton's own.

You can Google Wharton or Short Story Sunday to see some of the stories that I reviewed here. But the last few stories didn't get a place of their own; and I'm not likely to get around to them now that the book has been returned to the library. But I did want to tell a little bit about my favorite story.

Miss Mary Pask was a ghost story with a somewhat humorous twist. The protagonist visits the sister of a friend, then remembers that the sister had died. He ends up having a surreal conversation with Miss Pask where she makes comments such as, "I'm so lonely. No one ever visits me since I died." But that's not the twist. I highly recommend you read it for yourself.

Finishing this book marked the end of my RIP II Challenge books. I didn't finish on time but I did finish. Thank you, thank you Carl for all your encouragement and imagination, generosity and passion. It was a lot of fun.

I also get to count this as the second book completed for the Reading the Author Challenge. That's two birds with one stone. Yay for me!

The Sunday Salon

I had an unproductive beginning here for the Sunday Salon. I read for 1 1/2 hours and managed to read 25 pages. Pathetic! But I am not discouraged from my mission to read as much as I can on Sundays. I will be back next week, Lord willing.

A New Kind of Challenge

While I was visiting over at The Armenian Odar Reads, the host of November's Bookworms Carnival, I was introduced to The Sunday Salon. The idea is simple; you read as much as you can on Sunday and post about what you read. As a Christian, Sunday's are my day of rest, at least in theory. What could be more restful than a day of reading and blogging?