Currently Reading: The Red-Haired Girl from the Bog by Patricia Monaghan and The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood
A quick pop-in! Three things:
I encourage you to check out my new essay published on the Literary Ladies Guide website, discussing nature in Anne of Green Gables. Here's the link: http://www.literaryladiesguide.com/literary-musings/beyond-beauty-the-natural-world-in-anne-of-green-gables/#more-1690
I'm just starting to get into this "writing-outside-my-blog" thing and I would really love to hear some feedback, so feel free to comment!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week, I finished Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, which is probably the best novel I have read so far this year. It was mindblowing. And very difficult to describe, so I won't even attempt it. I can give you a glimpse, however, of the thoughts it raised in my mind as I read: how fragile and powerful are the trajectories of our lives; the pull and tug between free will and choice as the book dipped and flung itself into both; the ponderous, unanswerable questions of life and death and outcomes and consequences and the implications of our lives on the world, on each other, on history. How little things might lead to broader implications. How new decisions might still yield the same result. How little control we have over our destinies. How much control we have over our destinies. Life After Life was exquisite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also finished The Selected Letters of Louisa May Alcott. (Can you tell I'm on break from school?) The letters, like the journals, were such a pleasure because I felt fully immersed in LMA's world, her voice, her perspective. I actually enjoyed the Letters more because they were more conversational and detailed- often, I felt like Louisa was just talking to me, describing her thoughts and her doings. Like Louisa, the words were fresh and vibrant, as if they were written yesterday. I feel a deeper connection to Louisa the more I read of her, and these Letters strengthened that connection intensely. In fact, having read collections of both her Letters and Journals, I feel like I know her intimately, as a friend, as a kindred spirit. She is more real to me now than ever before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, a good May overall. June stretches before us, ripe with the promise of farmer's markets, museum visits, long walks, and a weekend vacation with friends up North. Books in the queue: In the Shadow of Blackbirds, some Ralph Waldo Emerson, Shadowfell, and Mrs. Dalloway. School starts again in two weeks, but I'm not focusing on that yet. My focus is on the good ahead.
Showing posts with label Anne of Green Gables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anne of Green Gables. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Imagination is a Powerful Thing
Currently Reading: Boone County Then and Now, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, and The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (I love you, Ms. Hoffman!)
Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the sudden departure from the blog for the past two weeks, but many things have had to take precedence (work, family emergency, etc.) to this wonderful project of mine. But I am back with so much to talk about! I actually had to run ideas past Nathan this afternoon because I could not decide on which topic I wanted to expound upon first.
I finished the Book Lust books, which were eye-opening, inspiring, and resulted in many additions to my "Must Read" list. I believe I am now on 89 books that I want to read or reread.... I pray that God gives me a long life so that I get the chance to indulge in all of the book-worlds and meet all of the characters I wish!
Today, I feel like discussing imagination, a precious and life-altering substance as real and necessary to our well being as our souls. I have been thinking about the power of imagination lately, as I reflect on my childhood and dive into both old and new novels. The imagination and books work together simultaneously; you cannot have one without the other. Reading, enveloping oneself within another world or another time, among strange and marvelous new people, stimulates the imagination. But it is our imagination that gives life and voice to paragraphs and sentences printed in ink. They work in conjunction, bettering our lives in every way.
I have consistently relied upon my imagination throughout my life- it is my sincere belief that it is from our soul that our imagination springs and thrives and that, like flames licking logs, our imagination grows with our exposure to literature. Because of my imagination, I fell head over heels in love with reading. Narnia, Frell, or Civil War-era America would never have changed my life like they did without the pictures that my imagination conjured within my mind. When I was a girl, I finished my homework by pretending I was studying in the Gryffindor common room at Hogwarts; I remember pretending to have conversations with some of my favorite literary characters; my sister and I acted out our favorite books. I imagined what it was like to be Anne of Green Gables, Caddie Woodlawn, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jo March, Hermione Granger, and I aspired to live up to their examples. As an adult, I can still revisit the places of my childhood, or broaden my life experiences without leaving my living room. I can have coffee with Clare and Henry in downtown Chicago, discussing time in all of its intricacies; contemplate death and sacrifice in the little village of Eyam in the 1600s; or witness desperation as Ethan Frome and Mattie sail down the hill on a sled. All of this speaks to me, teaches me, and feeds my imagination.
Oh, do I love that line. And this one too: "I have a real issue with anyone trying to protect children from their own imaginations." This quote, from none other than the phenomenal and imaginative J.K. Rowling, echoes my own love and respect for the power of imagination in a child's life. This is why I feel so strongly against banned books, against trying to stifle or keep children away from the powerful and evocative world of literature. A vibrant imagination is everything. And I plan on continuing to let mine grow. It is amazing what our minds are capable of.... and how much better our lives are because of the books we surround ourselves with.
Happy reading... I hope you have fun feeding your imagination this week!
Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the sudden departure from the blog for the past two weeks, but many things have had to take precedence (work, family emergency, etc.) to this wonderful project of mine. But I am back with so much to talk about! I actually had to run ideas past Nathan this afternoon because I could not decide on which topic I wanted to expound upon first.
I finished the Book Lust books, which were eye-opening, inspiring, and resulted in many additions to my "Must Read" list. I believe I am now on 89 books that I want to read or reread.... I pray that God gives me a long life so that I get the chance to indulge in all of the book-worlds and meet all of the characters I wish!
Today, I feel like discussing imagination, a precious and life-altering substance as real and necessary to our well being as our souls. I have been thinking about the power of imagination lately, as I reflect on my childhood and dive into both old and new novels. The imagination and books work together simultaneously; you cannot have one without the other. Reading, enveloping oneself within another world or another time, among strange and marvelous new people, stimulates the imagination. But it is our imagination that gives life and voice to paragraphs and sentences printed in ink. They work in conjunction, bettering our lives in every way.
I have consistently relied upon my imagination throughout my life- it is my sincere belief that it is from our soul that our imagination springs and thrives and that, like flames licking logs, our imagination grows with our exposure to literature. Because of my imagination, I fell head over heels in love with reading. Narnia, Frell, or Civil War-era America would never have changed my life like they did without the pictures that my imagination conjured within my mind. When I was a girl, I finished my homework by pretending I was studying in the Gryffindor common room at Hogwarts; I remember pretending to have conversations with some of my favorite literary characters; my sister and I acted out our favorite books. I imagined what it was like to be Anne of Green Gables, Caddie Woodlawn, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jo March, Hermione Granger, and I aspired to live up to their examples. As an adult, I can still revisit the places of my childhood, or broaden my life experiences without leaving my living room. I can have coffee with Clare and Henry in downtown Chicago, discussing time in all of its intricacies; contemplate death and sacrifice in the little village of Eyam in the 1600s; or witness desperation as Ethan Frome and Mattie sail down the hill on a sled. All of this speaks to me, teaches me, and feeds my imagination.
 |
| Anne says it best: "It just makes me feel glad to be alive—it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?” |
Happy reading... I hope you have fun feeding your imagination this week!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Top Ten- Part 1
Currently Reading: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
There are probably many other things I could be doing right now: I still have about 40 thank-you notes to go, my genealogy is begging me to update it, and there's a graduate school application essay calling my name. But.... once the urge to revisit favorite books comes a'knocking, there is nothing that will stand in its way.
Tonight's post will be the merest of outlines of five of my ten favorite books, although I'm sure there will be whole posts devoted to many of these in the weeks, months, years to come. Get excited! Some of these may be familiar, others obscure. Some you may not agree with; maybe you'll even get inspired to pick some of them up yourself. They're favorites for a variety of complex and undefinable reasons (see previous post) but I will attempt to give some explanation of their importance in my life. I have many thoughts, emotions, and opinions about each book, but I will go into those in depth someday. In creating a "top ten" list, I have obviously had to exclude books that I do truly love; in picking these, for this blog's purposes, I chose the ones for which I would use my one and only call on a desert pay phone to Fed-Ex, to have them shipped to my desert island where I would be waiting impatiently for their arrival.
Clarification: The books are listed in no particular order, except for Number One, which is truly Number One in my book.
Second clarification: This list does not include the Bible, for although that is my "top book", I do not define the Bible as a "book" in the same way I define books as "books." The Bible is a guide to life and to one's spiritual journey, and therefore is very different in my mind from books. There are books. There is the Bible. To me, they are very different.
1) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I have no words to describe my relationship with this book. I first read Jane Eyre at the age of eleven, when I went through my middle school "classics binge." From the beginning, I was smitten. Since then, I have grown to love and appreciate this book all the more. I find something new within its pages every time I read it (which at this point, not counting reading snippets here and there, has been about 15 times). With each reread, I feel rejuvenated and refreshed, ready to face life with a new sense of calm. It is amazing the spell that book has over me.
2) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
A book about a book... how does it get any better than that? This book is absolutely phenomenal, mostly because it's historical, well written, and covers many different stories in one- which is something I love in books. People of the Book explores the long, tragic, and bloody history of a Jewish religious book as it is passed down through the centuries, saved from those who would destroy it. It provides a fascinating history of the Jewish people in Eastern Europe, as well as gives a "book-lover" and researcher like me a thrill as the main character, a present-day book conservator, restores this deliciously old book.
3) Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
Anne is one of those literary heroines that I wish existed in the real world; her sunny disposition and lively imagination has been an inspiration to me since I was a girl. I have never met a single person who has not loved these books. (And yes, I count a series as "one" book...see how sneaky I am?) In my opinion, the best time to read these books is the summer, because there is something about Montgomery's lush descriptions of Prince Edward Island that make me want to read my book lying in the grass or sitting under a tree or while walking through a field of daisies.
4) The Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier
Looking back, I can say that the Sevenwaters trilogy truly changed my life. They are not perhaps on the same realm of Shakespeare or Dickens, but they are life-changing all the same. I first read these books, which could best be defined as historical fantasy set in medieval Ireland, when I was a sophomore in high school. From there, I became obsessed with learning more about Irish history and Celtic mythology. I couldn't get enough. I started yearning to visit Ireland and I began reading anything about Ireland that I could get my hands on. I continued my personal Irish studies throughout college, taking an Independent Study course on Celtic religion; my senior thesis focused on the Irish Literary Revival of the 1890s, which included poets and playwrights W.B. Yeats and J.M. Synge. Now, eight years after reading those books for the first time, Nathan and I are planning our first trip to Ireland this spring. Talk about life-changing.
5) The Confession of St. Patrick by St. Patrick
One of the works from Irish history that I enjoy returning to is called The Confession of St. Patrick. And yes, this is THE St. Patrick. Many people think they know St. Patrick's story and of course, America loves to wear green and drink its way through March 17th, but this is actually St. Patrick's story from St. Patrick himself! It's amazing that we even have these documents, which were written sometime during the 5th century AD. In this short tract (which also includes a letter he wrote to a Roman general), St. Patrick gives us the story of his life and his work for God. Talk about inspirational. Reading this gave me a completely different view of this remarkable man- and what it means to truly live a life devoted to God's work. He wasn't perfect- he committed a terrible sin (most likely murder) when he was younger and he could be quick to anger, but he truly loved the Irish people, which explains why his mission was successful. Forget green plastic necklaces and green beer- reading this every St. Patrick's Day is how I celebrate. :)
Have a happy Wednesday! Go say hi to one of your favorite books!
There are probably many other things I could be doing right now: I still have about 40 thank-you notes to go, my genealogy is begging me to update it, and there's a graduate school application essay calling my name. But.... once the urge to revisit favorite books comes a'knocking, there is nothing that will stand in its way.
Tonight's post will be the merest of outlines of five of my ten favorite books, although I'm sure there will be whole posts devoted to many of these in the weeks, months, years to come. Get excited! Some of these may be familiar, others obscure. Some you may not agree with; maybe you'll even get inspired to pick some of them up yourself. They're favorites for a variety of complex and undefinable reasons (see previous post) but I will attempt to give some explanation of their importance in my life. I have many thoughts, emotions, and opinions about each book, but I will go into those in depth someday. In creating a "top ten" list, I have obviously had to exclude books that I do truly love; in picking these, for this blog's purposes, I chose the ones for which I would use my one and only call on a desert pay phone to Fed-Ex, to have them shipped to my desert island where I would be waiting impatiently for their arrival.
Clarification: The books are listed in no particular order, except for Number One, which is truly Number One in my book.
 |
| Jane and I on my wedding day, getting my hair done. I wasn't kidding. |
1) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I have no words to describe my relationship with this book. I first read Jane Eyre at the age of eleven, when I went through my middle school "classics binge." From the beginning, I was smitten. Since then, I have grown to love and appreciate this book all the more. I find something new within its pages every time I read it (which at this point, not counting reading snippets here and there, has been about 15 times). With each reread, I feel rejuvenated and refreshed, ready to face life with a new sense of calm. It is amazing the spell that book has over me.
2) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
A book about a book... how does it get any better than that? This book is absolutely phenomenal, mostly because it's historical, well written, and covers many different stories in one- which is something I love in books. People of the Book explores the long, tragic, and bloody history of a Jewish religious book as it is passed down through the centuries, saved from those who would destroy it. It provides a fascinating history of the Jewish people in Eastern Europe, as well as gives a "book-lover" and researcher like me a thrill as the main character, a present-day book conservator, restores this deliciously old book.
3) Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
Anne is one of those literary heroines that I wish existed in the real world; her sunny disposition and lively imagination has been an inspiration to me since I was a girl. I have never met a single person who has not loved these books. (And yes, I count a series as "one" book...see how sneaky I am?) In my opinion, the best time to read these books is the summer, because there is something about Montgomery's lush descriptions of Prince Edward Island that make me want to read my book lying in the grass or sitting under a tree or while walking through a field of daisies.
4) The Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier
Looking back, I can say that the Sevenwaters trilogy truly changed my life. They are not perhaps on the same realm of Shakespeare or Dickens, but they are life-changing all the same. I first read these books, which could best be defined as historical fantasy set in medieval Ireland, when I was a sophomore in high school. From there, I became obsessed with learning more about Irish history and Celtic mythology. I couldn't get enough. I started yearning to visit Ireland and I began reading anything about Ireland that I could get my hands on. I continued my personal Irish studies throughout college, taking an Independent Study course on Celtic religion; my senior thesis focused on the Irish Literary Revival of the 1890s, which included poets and playwrights W.B. Yeats and J.M. Synge. Now, eight years after reading those books for the first time, Nathan and I are planning our first trip to Ireland this spring. Talk about life-changing.
5) The Confession of St. Patrick by St. Patrick
One of the works from Irish history that I enjoy returning to is called The Confession of St. Patrick. And yes, this is THE St. Patrick. Many people think they know St. Patrick's story and of course, America loves to wear green and drink its way through March 17th, but this is actually St. Patrick's story from St. Patrick himself! It's amazing that we even have these documents, which were written sometime during the 5th century AD. In this short tract (which also includes a letter he wrote to a Roman general), St. Patrick gives us the story of his life and his work for God. Talk about inspirational. Reading this gave me a completely different view of this remarkable man- and what it means to truly live a life devoted to God's work. He wasn't perfect- he committed a terrible sin (most likely murder) when he was younger and he could be quick to anger, but he truly loved the Irish people, which explains why his mission was successful. Forget green plastic necklaces and green beer- reading this every St. Patrick's Day is how I celebrate. :)
Have a happy Wednesday! Go say hi to one of your favorite books!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Keep On Reading...
