The Sunday Salon

I hope all of my friends out there had as merry of a Christmas as we did. I'm finally back from visiting family and ready to get back into the daily grind of life. First things first!
Yes, it was attack of the Legos again. This is the new castle. It was of course essential that I build this before I got around to cleaning or buying groceries or anything else. =)

I spent the whole of Christmas week trying to read Atonement but, like I predicted, I didn't get very far. In fact, I read a total of 1 chapter. But I've been reading a bit since I've been home and so far I am loving the writing. The character development is phenomenal. I recommend you stay tuned for the review.

And hey! Have yourself a jolly New Year!

Bookworms Carnival

Hey! While I wasn't looking, Eva posted the Bookworms Carnival. Go give it a good long look.

Music for the Season

Music was an important part of celebrating Christmas in my family.  As soon as Thanksgiving was over Jingle Bells flowed through the house.  For me it was a tradition to cherish.  Here is a sampling of what we are listening to at this time of year:

• The Gift by Jim Brickman- his piano is my idea of loveliness.  I could listen to this one CD for hours.
• Jewel- A Holiday Collection- A few of the songs on here are a bit corny but some are breathtaking, like Ave Maria.
• Christmas Greetings by Kenny Rogers- a childhood favorite I can't live without.
• Dream a Dream by Charlotte Church- her voice is truly like a dream in just about every song.

And here are a few more that are on my list for next year:

•  Christmas with the Chipmunks- I can't tell you how much fun I had with this as a kid.  Very fun!
• Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan- I listened to some of it while shopping the other night and now I definitely want it.
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra- I'm not sure yet which one I would like the best but you can watch a few videos of theirs for yourself.

What is your favorite Christmas album this year?  And which one are you hoping to find in your stocking?

Review: Adam of the Road

Adam of the Road
by Elizabeth Janet Gray
317 pages
First Sentence:

After a May as gray and cold as December, June came in, that year of 1294, sunny
and warm and full of birds and blossoms and all the other happy things the songs
praise May for.

Adam is the son of a minstrel, and a proud son at that. When his father picks him up from a boarding school, he learns what being a minstrel is really all about. There are several adventures big and small, including having his best companion, a red spaniel named Nick, stolen; then losing his father. Along the way, Adam learns why the road is considered a minstrel's only true home. He also discovers that it is the only true path for him.

What I really liked about this book was that Adam holds on to that childlike belief in the goodness of the world no matter what happens to him. He meets some dastardly characters but he spends more time thinking about those he meets that are good and kind. Also, it is told from Adam's perspective in just the way a child looks at the world. What I mean is that he sees people with flaws, like his father gambling his earnings away in one night, but he doesn't judge them. He still admires his father but he sees firsthand why it is said that cards are the minstrel's downfall. The reader feels certain that Adam, as well as his remorseful father, has learned a valuable lesson that he will never forget.

Unfortunately, the story didn't feel like a must-read. It was good but not fantastic. It would work well for a child studying about that time period or might appeal to a child that dreams about going out on his own but it was not one I will likely read again because of a low interest level.

This was my sixth and final book for the Newbery Challenge. Yay! I completed another challenge. I am glad to have been exposed to some wonderful kid lit. that I never would have just read for the fun of it.

The Sunday Salon

This is the project I've been working on for the last few evenings. That's the Lego Knight's Kingdom set known as Vladek's Dark Fortress.

Besides wasting all that time I also spent most of my day yesterday Christmas shopping. I was able to check off a few more names from the list.

But you came here to read about my bookish adventures. I was able to squeeze in about an hour or so of reading last night, giving me the time to finish yet another book for the week, Adam of the Road. The review is forthcoming. I am hoping to also spend the next couple of weeks reading Wharton's Buccaneers and McEwan's Atonement. I am really looking forward to the movie release of Atonement in January. It's been nominated for 7 Golden Globes and the trailer looks fantastic. I will be vacating for Christmas, spending the time with Mom, PeeWee Sister and her 3 munchkins so we'll see just how much reading actually gets done.

And now I'm off to do a bit more shopping. =)

Warning! Ice Burgs Ahead

So what do you get when you mix the completion of two books with the stomach flu? Very weird dreams. First I finished Endurance, the true story of Shackleton's doomed antarctic expedition and incredible rescue. I then finished No Plot? No Problem!, a book of encouragement and tips for getting through the NaNoWriMo in 30 days. Here is a sampling of my dreams:

I'm sailing in a boat in the antarctic, trying to get back to my men before their rations run out in 30 days but my way is blocked by ice burgs made of piles and piles of words.

I need to rescue my men but the only way to do it is by writing how I intend to rescue them before I start off but I have writer's block.

I kept waking up, every hour or so with the last member of my family in the throws of illness, with visions of words in my way or not coming to me when I needed them. There was a constant feeling of pressure that I was running out of time. I awoke exhausted in every way. Since I have no energy to cook or clean, I thought I'd blog. Enjoy the reviews.

Review: Endurance

Endurance
by F.A. Worsley, Captain of HMS Endurance
301 pages
First Sentence :

Sir Ernest Shackleton, Frank Wild, his Second in Command, and I were sitting in
Shackleton's cabin in the Endurance. The date was July 13th, 1915. The ship was fast set in the ice of the Antarctic, and while it was apparent that the difficulties of the 'Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition' were becoming acute, it had never occurred to me that we should lose our ship.

And there you are dragged into the action right from the beginning. Things are doomed from the first page. What follows is the amazing true story of how the 28 men aboard the Endurance were rescued by the endurance of their honored leader. There were many adventures and plenty of times when an ordinary man would have given up hope, but not Shackleton. His men's lives were of the utmost importance to him. More important than his life long goal of exploring the South Pole; more important even than his own comfort and life. And his men knew it and admired him for it. What comes through in the words of Cpt. Worsley is the deep respect that everyone who knew him had for this courageous man. They trusted him implicitly.

I had never been interested in antarctic exploration, or an adventure of this scope before my husband had rented the BBC movie Shackleton, which I highly recommend, especially if you have adventure loving children. I was fascinated by the courage and commitment this man exhibited. Under such overwhelming odds he never lost a single man under his care. I was tickled to read Anne Fadiman's essay The Odd Shelf in her lovely book Ex Libris. Here's an excerpt:

It has long been my belief that every one's library contains an Odd Shelf. On this shelf rests a small, mysterious corpus of volumes whose subject matter is completely unrelated to the rest of the library, yet which, upon closer inspection, reveals a good deal about it's owner.(...)My own Odd Shelf holds sixty-four books about polar exploration: expedition narratives, journals, collections of photographs, works of natural history, and naval manuals.

About two months ago I was browsing the shelves at a local used book store and came across Endurance. I had to read it. When the Seafaring Challenge came along, I knew now was my chance. And I've loved every minute of it. It is a beautifully written account of harrowing adventure in sub-zero temperatures. Perhaps not the best choice for a cold winter's night but with my hot tea and electric blanket I was just fine.

This is a wonderful book. Truly! Read it for yourself. Give it as a gift to a teenager you know. Watch the movie. Be inspired. I was.

Review: No Plot? No Problem!

No Plot? No Problem!
by Chris Baty, Founder of NaNoWriMo
172 pages
First Sentence:
The era, in retrospect, was very kind to dumb ideas.

After failing to complete NaNo last month, a friend loaned me this book in preparation for next year. "I may as well get started early" I thought. So I read it. It was not earth shattering information, just good, old fashioned cheerleading, the kind that could possibly have come from a humorous best friend or sibling. It is a don't-take-it-too-seriously guide for those who would like to see if they have what it takes to write a novel in an insanely small amount of time. There is a little bit of useful information and a lot of clowning around.

What I really needed was a way to come up with a story that would fill in a 50,000 word novel. I started 2 different stories in 10,000 words. I needed plot ideas. This is not the book to help with that. If you know generally what you want to write about then this could help you through your first or second year with NaNo. It was not useless all together but I didn't find it to be worth the $15. asking price. Thankfully I didn't pay for it.

If you are considering joining NaNo next Nov. see if your library has a copy of this one while you're looking for books about plot development.

The Sunday Salon

Though we are fighting off the stomach flu around here, I did manage to get in a couple of hours of reading today. I am almost done reading Endurance, a record of Shackleton's antarctic expedition. It has been a very interesting read. Fortunately my local library has a copy of Worsley's other book entitled Shackleton's Boat Journey. My current reading speed is about 20 pages an hour. If I continue at this rate I may be able to finish the book tomorrow. This depends greatly on whether I am to continue to play nurse or if I become a patient. Unfortunately, the forecast doesn't look good.

Man Booker Challenge

So let's say I was wanting to commit myself to just one more reading challenge; and let's say I was looking for something thought provoking and award winning; and let's say I would only join it if I had enough books already on my shelves so I wouldn't have to buy anything new. Then I would choose the Man Booker Challenge hosted by Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf. Read 6 books in 12 months that were short-listed, long-listed or won the Man Booker Award. I looked through the shelves and then I looked through the lists here. These are the books I came up with:

• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
• On Beauty by Zadie Smith
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• Atonement by Ian McEwan
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
• Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
• The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

The top three are titles I already have on the Book Awards Challenge list so I am really only committing to read three other books for the entire year, with the possibility of reading a couple of extras. I already planned to read Atonement as the movie looks so good. And I watched The English Patient last weekend so that one was also on my mind lately. The others I've picked up used here and there because of some great blog reviews.

So it looks like I've joined yet another reading challenge.

Oh So Apropos

You Are Christmas

More than most people, you are able to find magic in life's small moments.Traditions mean a lot to you, and you tend to be quite nostalgic.You are a giving, kind person who really understands the true meaning of holidays.You inspire others to be as altruistic and caring as you are. What makes you celebrate: Tradition and a generous spirit At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The storyteller. You like to recount memories with everyone. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Give a gift to everyone you know

Thanks Kimmie!