Posted on September 16, 2012 in Books, Musings
This week I read Venetia by Georgette Heyer. I still need to start Gone with the Wind and catch up to my library books, but I’m too busy today to read. Argh.
I have been very busy with work, life and my other interests to read much lately. When I was a kid, I only had one major hobby, interest and activity (discounting the TV): reading. Since then, I have accumulated more hobbies in my life and while reading is still the top, things are competing with my time.
Here is just a small list of them: Reading/Books, Knitting, Spinning, Photography, Writing/this blog, TV and Movies, Yoga, Badminton, Fiddle/Violin and more. Yes, this week, I’ve taken up the violin again by going to fiddle lessons. Is this long term? Doubtful, but I am entertaining it for the short term. I like to keep myself busy, and as an introvert, I’m not super social especially since most of my friends don’t even live in this town anymore. Still, I have to divide time for my family and friends as well. Not to mention full time work (however insecure that is).
The yoga and badminton don’t take much time of my week. I’ll probably stop going to yoga in the winter, but reading, knitting and this blog take up a good amount of time. I haven’t had enough time to really spin so that’s dropped off.
Well, I’m glad to be keeping busy and balancing things that I like to do for the most part though I have to watch the expense sometime too.
What are you doing to keep yourself busy?
Posted on September 9, 2012 in Books
Hello! It rained all of yesterday which was lovely for sleep and relaxing. I spent it catching up to “Celebrity Masterchef” (UK) and watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (recommended).
This week, I read Where we belong by Emily Giffin and Arabella by Georgette Heyer. Work was very busy this week so I was too tired to read towards the end of the week.
Today, I want to knit some more because I really want to finish this blanket. I am also rewatching My Neighbour Totoro. As for books, I have a lot still from the library including Venetia by Georgette Heyer, The Song of Achilles, The City of Dreaming Books, and more. Of course, I still need to start Gone with the Wind. At this rate, I may not start it until October.
The weather has gotten cold now, and I think it will stay this way. Now I can slowly take out my tights and fall skirts. What about you? Do you feel the change in the air where you are?
Posted on September 2, 2012 in Books
This week, I read Fifty Shades of Grey, and Fifty Shades Darker (review done, up tomorrow). It was a looong week reading those books. I also finished my Austen Adaptations post for my final entry of Austen in August.
In other news, I got a giveaway book in the mail this week! I won a copy of Jane Eyre from Allie of A Literary Odyssey during the Victorian Reading Challenge.
When I opened the package, I immediately pressed my nose to pages and flipped through it. I love the smell of new books. I don’t get the smell of it often since I tend to buy used books. I don’t mind used books, but they don’t smell as nice. Anyway, I really want to reread Jane Eyre now, but I have so many other things I need to reread.
A new month and new challenges! I am part of the Gone with the Wind and the Harry Potter reading challenges this month onwards. But I have quite a number of checked out library books to go through this long weekend.
I am not sure what to read first. There is Emily Griffin’s Where We Belong, Ex-Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, been awhile since I read a Georgette Heyer: Arabella, The City of Dreaming Books, Glamour in Glass, and more. This doesn’t include the books from my Kindle!
Also, I have a number of self-help books on the pile. Now, I generally don’t read many self-help books, and when I do, I don’t read the whole thing so they don’t appear in my annual completed books list. I like to skim for opinions about personal things such as career and relationships. Once in awhile, I’ll read one in full, but I find less time for that now. Do you read self-help books cover to cover? Do they actually help?
Happy Labour Day weekend to those of you who get it! Great for reading!
Posted on August 26, 2012 in Books
This week I read and finished The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.
It has been a busy weekend. I am making jelly for the first time (or trying to), went on a road trip to Twist, and will be out today with a friend to an art gallery and some food. So now major reading today. I have a lot of books that I want to read and I even read a bit Fifty Shades of Grey. I think I will finish that tomorrow. It’s… amusing. Sometimes annoying, but I can see why it is a bestseller. I plan on reading the whole trilogy so it’ll be on massive post sometime in the future.
I forgot to mention last Sunday Salon that I signed up for the Harry Potter Read Along from September 1st to December 15th, hosted by Lost Generation Reader. I reread Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last month just for fun. It’s one of my favourites, but I may as well reread some of the other books and Tales of Beedle Bard. I won’t reread all seven books because I will be busy with life and other reading challenges, but I will definitely reread the first and last books and a couple in between. This is not the first time I’ve reread the books for the blog either so I will only do a few of the books. Check out the Harry Potter tag. Rereading my posts on that in the past, I will focus the reread on the last book which I never wrote a proper post about, but did make predictions for.
In other news, I don’t think I can read another book for Austen in August. I have been keeping myself too busy with many other things, but I am finishing a long post for Austen Adaptations to finish off the readalong. Watch this space.
I’m off to prepare for my busy day.
What are you doing to move about this last Sunday of August?
Posted on August 12, 2012 in Books
This week I was productive in my reading: finished Mansfield Park, Shades of Milk and Honey and Lady Susan.
I am half way through Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After. It’s OK; I could have finished it yesterday, but I opted to read and watch things instead. The weather has cooled down significantly this week so I am back to knitting. Also, I read a lot this week. I will finish it today and the review should be up tomorrow.
Since I have read on four of the books I intended to read for Austen in August. I only now have to read Love and Freindship and PD James’s Death at Pemberley. I have decided not to read Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels by Deirdre LeFaye; I have too much to do this month and want to go back to reading some other things. I will put it in my TBR queue for after the reading challenge. I also recommend it; I skimmed through it and it looks like a very good companion to Austen’s works.
In other news, I need to knit & spin more as well as watch some of my backlogged movies & TV. I will perhaps post on the latter some Sunday Salon as well. I bought a new yoga mat yesterday because I’ve signed up for some classes. It is very expensive to join gyms and classes so I could only do so through group deal sites. I hope to be more active again in the autumn.
Even though there are a few more weeks of summer left, the weather is cooler and when September gets ever close, I just think of fall. It’s my favourite season in Canada, and I’m already thinking about my wardrobe for it.
What are you doing this August weekend?
Posted on August 5, 2012 in Books
This week I read and finished Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
I started Mansfield Park for Austen in August as well. I even started a review before reading the book because I wanted to write about why this was my last major Austen work. I am only at about page 48 so far, and it really is more serious than Austen’s other novels. It’s not as tongue in cheek; it’s still Austen observant, but it really is moralizing. I’ll hit it more in the review.
The weather continues to be dry, hot and not conducive to many things. It is a long weekend so we went on a road trip yesterday (not my idea), but I bought the things I wanted and ate some. However, I have been fighting a cold all week and been taking oil of oregano. I didn’t take it yesterday nor did I sleep a lot. I woke up a bit feverish, very dizzy and tired. I wanted to read MP today, but I also wanted to clean, organize my things, etc. I think I won’t do all that I want today. I really hope it rains and cools down soon.
Also, I am still glued to the Olympics and watching it everyday. It is proving a distraction to my reading. Ahh, well. It’ll be over soon and I have enjoyed it. It has made me miss the UK like mad though.
What are you doing this Sunday?
Posted on July 29, 2012 in Books
This week I read and finished Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte.
I started reading Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont the other week (but haven’t read it due to other things). I also started Little Women by Louisa May Alcott on Friday, but I think I will read The Chaperone by Lian Moriarity. It’s due back at the library by tuesday so I will try and read it the next two days.
The Olympics have started and whenever that happens, I have the TV on most of the time. This Olympics also makes me particularly homesick or miss England and London. Still good, so I am watching that more. It may take more reading time, but that’s alright since I need some time to knit as well. I can take a break before I start Austen in August and other planned reads.
I’ve joined another reading challenge/readalong! I really did miss these when I wasn’t blogging because they do hold me accountable for the books I want to read. Also, I find it difficult to name my Sunday Salon posts so a reading challenge post is a catch-all.
The goal is to read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell from September 1st to November 7th. The final review post will only be published on November 8th which was Margaret Mitchell’s birthday.
I know this is a popular and classic book that I have been meaning to read for awhile. I look forward to it; I’ve already seen the movie. The readalong will have update posts for the end of each section, but I will save all my thoughts for a big post at the end since that is what I am use to. I’ll be reading it on my Kindle; I would try for a library copy except the book request queue for it is long that I won’t be able to start in September.
Join us if you haven’t read this book or want to do a reread.
On a final note, I am considering running my own reading challenge or two. Since I graduated, I haven’t been reading nonfiction as much; I always think I need to read more nonfiction. Then novels, fiction and dramas lure me in. Another challenge that I am considering is poetry. Would anyone else be interested in these kind of reading challenges? I’m happy to host it. I’ll just need to make some graphics and be more organised if other people are interested.
That’s it for today. I will get busier as the summer goes on I think.
How is your summer reading? Have you read the books you set out for the season?
Literary Links
Haven’t done this in years.
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries – A modern day Youtube adaptation of Pride & Prejudice
Posted on July 22, 2012 in Books
Hello, world! The weather has cooled down this week, and that was the best thing about it really. It was an ok week. Since last Sunday Salon, I read Lady of Quality and Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (review up tomorrow).
I read the latter book yesterday, and today, I am not sure which book I will read or start. There isn’t a lot of time for reading this weekend, but that’s fine since I did a lot of it last weekend.
Last Sunday, I started, read and finished two books: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer. It was a hot day, and I try to devote most my Sundays to reading now as I can only really read that day. Still, I was exhausted by the end of the day. I have only ever read that much for fun a couple times before. I don’t really make a habit of it, but both books were a breeze to read and get through, but still tired me out.
As a follow up to what I mentioned last week about Austen in August, I am not only going to read Mansfield Park. I somehow found I had 3 other Austen books I wanted to read on my Kindle. Here is my Austen in August list:
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Lady Susan by Jane Austen – I don’t remember what happens in this and if I even finished it. I think I did, but it’s hazy. I have this on Kindle.
Death in Pemberley by PD James – I have this on Kindle and remembered this week. I read page so far.
P&P&Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Stephen Hockensmith
Shades of Milk & Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal – Does this count? It’s basically Regency mixed with urban fantasy from what I have heard.
If I have time:
Jane Austen: The World of her novels by Deirdre Le Faye.
Anyway, back to today. I think I will start Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. I haven’t read anything for the Victorian Reading Challenge in a couple weeks, and I need to read some Anne finally!
I will start it and make some blueberry jam later in the day. I went out blueberry picking yesterday. I do love summer!
What did you do this weekend? What are you reading?
Posted on July 15, 2012 in Books
The heatwave continues. This is the hottest summer in memory. The city is even at a Level 2 Drought. I just want to spend weekends indoors reading.
Yesterday, I finally finished The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. That was it for the week.
I just started The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern; I’ll be reading that today. After that, I think I’ll read a Heyer then tackle Game of Thrones or The Chaperone.
Now that I’ve got a couple of Victorian books for the Victorian Reading Challenge and Classics Club under my belt, what other challenge should I join to organize my reading? Why, one for Jane Austen!
Roof Beam Reader is hosting Austen in August. I encourage people to join especially if you’ve read little to no Austen. Summer is a good time to read her because her works are very light and great for holiday reading. She is one of my favourite authors. I have read and enjoyed every one of her fictional novels (including the Sandition and Lady Susan) EXCEPT Mansfield Park. I just bought it last month for the Classics Club too, and this challenge will force me to read it after all these years. I like Austen works so much, I even ship her characters. I’ve even read fanfiction for Austen even.
You can’t really go wrong with any of her novels. The challenge also includes biographies about her and modern day interpretations of her books. As much as I do like Austen, I do only plan on reading Mansfield Park because I have so many other books to read. However, I just remembered, I have the sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After on Kindle. I wasn’t a big lover of the first book; it was amusing enough. The sequel has a different author though so I may as well.
I feel rather organised about now, but at the same time not since I only read one book this week! Goodness, do I love books. They are my drug of choice.
What are you reading this weekend?
Posted on July 8, 2012 in Books
Hello, Sunday! It has been another hot week where I am. In other news, I started a new job this week so I have been in bed at 10 and awake before 7. It hasn’t given me a lot of time to enjoy my hobbies, but I did manage to read Frederica by Georgette Heyer this week.
I also started The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James yesterday. He is descriptive, but he balances it out with actual dialogue. So far, I like his sense of humour and tone. I will read more this week, but I anticipate another busy and hot week ahead so I definitely won’t be able to read very much.
After this, I’ll read another Heyer book. I want to read Game of Thrones after that, but I may opt to read another Victorian era novel instead. Also, I updated my Kindle on Calibre this week; I’ve accumulated a lot of books that I haven’t read the Kindle since last year! I bought the Kindle for travel, and I haven’t been doing it at all so it’s moot. Secondly, I do prefer paper books to the Kindle and often forget about it and what books I have already saved on it (a lot). Do you often feel you neglect your e-reader?
What are you reading this week?
Have a good week!
Posted on July 1, 2012 in Books
Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians!
A short post to say that I won’t be reading today because I am going to be social this holiday and going to a BBQ.
I will start The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James tomorrow. I will follow that up with another Heyer and then Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin which I put on my Classics Club list because given the series popularity, it seems it will be one.
This week, I read The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer and yesterday, I finished Sylvester also by the same author. Now that I am in the latter period of Heyer’s life, the books are consistently better. I enjoyed both works a lot. Both reviews will be up this week.
Finally, a literary link to share: Book shelf porn! This is really helpful to me because on Pinterest, I have a board called Bibliophilia dedicated to books and shelves and all readery things.
What are you doing this first day of July? Happy Reading everyone!
Posted on June 24, 2012 in Books
Hello, Sunday! I am a bit exhausted because I went on a day trip yesterday, but walked a lot. So I am looking forward to taking it easy with a book today.
I read three books this week: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (great), The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (wonderful), and April Lady by Georgetter (meh). You can find the reviews for the first two, but I think I will put the April Lady in a combined Heyer review if only because I am reading so many of her novels now and I don’t have much to say about some of them to warrant one post each.
Today, I am going to try to read The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Orbreht.
There was a heatwave this week so I wanted to read lighter books, but I still want to read more for Classics Club and the Victorian Reading Challenge. I think the next book up for that is the The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. This will be my first Henry James and I’ve had the novel for a few years now.
In other news, I watched a few movies this week, and I’m eager to finish this cardigan for a knitalong before next weekend. Hopefully I can knit a bit today. I will be starting a new job probably the week after this one so must get as much leisure time in.
Have a good week, everyone!