"My Gift, From a Christmas Carol" by Christina Rossetti

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part, –
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

"The Dawn of a Tomorrow" by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This book caught my eye because of the sober-sounding title. To be honest, I started reading it because "Dawn" by Eleanor H. Porter was not working one day on Librivox. One thing to note is that it is not very long, more like a novella.

The very first few pages captivated me from the start. I was surprised to find that Burnett had written more than children's stories. Reading the synopsis made me wonder if the story would be too diadactic, but it was be amazing. The first chapter was pretty abstract, but once we got out into the fog and Anthony became an observer, it cleared up a bunch.

I've been looking for a solid five-star read for a while, and this one hit the spot perfectly. I am hooked on this book!

Recent Read; "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility has to be one of the best examples of a wonderful book that has a wonderful movie to go along with it. The movie is really, really close to being just as good or better than the book. As I read Austen's novel this time, I am astounded at Emma Thompson's skill in creating her Oscar-winning screenplay that augments the story while retaining as much Austen as possible. Really, besides dropping a few minor characters, the only big difference between the book and the movie is the movie doesn't have Willoughby show up when Marianne is ill. Both the book and the movie are so beautiful!

A couple meaningful themes jumped out at me this time as I read Sense and Sensibility this time. First, Edward and Willoughby really are true foils. For a long time I just thought of them as opposites, but while their personalities are very different (Edward is mild and quiet, Willoughby is gregarious but selfish), their situations in the story are almost the same. Both are breaking Dashwood girls' hearts because of a stupid previous relationship. Just Edward's past is justifiable and Willoughby's is very blameable. Then when their past blows up in their face, they both have the freedom to choose their own actions. Edward chooses to remain honorable (by keeping his engagement with Lucy as long as she wants it) and Willoughby is a jerk to everyone (he refuses to marry Eliza and ditches Marianne so he can marry someone else for money).

Another theme that Austen really highlights in the book is the idea of second love. Marianne at the beginning doesn't believe love can happen to you twice. By the end, she obviously changes her mind. The interesting thing is that all of the heroes and heroines in the story--Edward, Colonel Brandon, and Marianne--become happy on a second love, while Elinor marries and is happy with her first. And we're okay with it because, as the sensible one, we feel like she deserves it.


Finally, I love how Austen explores the relationship between the two sisters. At first they are so different, but their struggles help them understand one another better and make them more and more alike.


This was one of the most satisfying re-reads that I've had in a long time! And I can't believe it was Austen's first novel--it's so good!

A True Gaskell Fan!

A few days ago I was indexing 1871 British census records and my sheet was from Milton, Northamptonshire! I couldn't believe it! I fully expected to see the Higgins and the Thorntons on the page! It was very exciting, and just proof of how much I really loved reading North and South. I might have to do that again sometime . . .

Recent Read: "The Complete Sherlock Holmes," Volume 1, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

My brother bought both volumes for me for Christmas last year and I think it was one of my favorite book gifts ever. Reading the "Complete" has been so much fun. Doyle was not perfect; Holmes takes cocaine and heroin and has some serious misconceptions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I still love these stories. I thought that reading the complete would make them feel repetitive--that they would all feel like the same story. On the contrary, I am facinated and spellbounded by Doyle's ingenuity in coming up with different thoughts and especially different story moods in the backdrop. When he does repeat a similar plot--such as stories about sketchy new jobs and selfish stepfathers--it feels like he's really making a statement about something he sees wrong in the world because he addresses that problem more than once, which is really interesting. One volume down, one to go, and I still can't get enough!

Recent Read: "The Sword in the Stone" by T.H. White

T.H. is not to be confused with E.B., which is a mistake I think I made for a long time. The beginning of this book was a little hard to get through, before I realized that it was all a joke. But once Merlyn shows up, it is a blast. It makes me sing the Disney "Sword in the Stone" songs, but the characters are even more fun on paper. I was very impressed by White's imaginary, descriptive, masterful, and fun writing style. This would be a good stepping stone to Tolkien for children who like mythology, fantasy, and long books

Recent Read: "Kidnapped" by Robert Lewis Stevenson

This might be the first complete Stevenson novel that I've ever read (dare I confess this much?). It's was interesting because for Stevenson this was a historical novel already, so for us it's really old. His language is kind of slow and wordy, but I really liked all the Scottish accent stuff. I loved the kidnapping, the shipwreck, and the lone man on an island parts at the beginning, but then we spent the middle hundred pages running through the Highland hills. That was pretty laborious, and the ending was just a neat tie-up (could Alan have at least run off with the barmaid or something???).


Overall, I enjoyed it, but it might be a while before I read it again, and I don't plan on attempting to read it aloud ever again! I have a lot of respect for Stevenson, though. I heard one of my favorite professors give a speech about him several months ago, and I know there is plenty more to appreciate!

Recent Read: "The Elusive Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy

Yes, I'm a little obsessed. But I was happy to find that this is a full novel instead of a collection of stories. I really like being in Marguerite's perspective more, unlike the beginning of El Dorado. 
 
Come to find out, I should have read this and a couple of other of the books before El Dorado, which makes everything make a lot more sense, especially the title of El Dorado. It's all coming together better now, and I recommend reading them in the right order! 

One thing that was really cool in The Elusive Pimpernel is how Orczy grapples with the question of where God is during all these atrocities by making the priest Marguerite's close friend. Marguerite and Percy both speak of God reverently and faithfully, but the priest's faith is too naive. You feel that God expects good people do to good things even during troubled times in addition to praying. I like how Orczy touches on this without preaching or making it a main point.

I really liked this book a lot. It hits the "to read aloud with my husband" list, which is pretty good. It's too bad that the movie ruined El Dorado for me, so I liked how this book still had surprises.

The last thing I have to say is that Marguerite and Percy's relationship is one of the most beautiful in all literature. Here's just one quote "agony of joy." It thrills me! I am just crazy about their deep, passionate romance as husband and wife. It is beautiful!

The Scarlet Pimpernel Disambiguated

So come to find out there are really 18 Scarlet Pimpernel books and Baroness Orczy wrote a ton of other novels as well! I was really confused when I was reading The Elusive Pimpernel and it became clear that El Dorado hadn't happened yet. So here is they all are in "reading order" (chronological within the story, not in the order Orczy wrote them) to help you out.

These first two novels are about the Scarlet Pimpernel’s ancestors:
• The Laughing Cavalier (1913)

• The First Sir Percy (1920)

Then we have the main block of Scarlet Pimpernel stories:
• The Scarlet Pimpernel (play 1903, novel 1905)
• Sir Percy Leads the Band (1936)
• The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1919)
• I Will Repay (1906)
• The Elusive Pimpernel (1908)
• Eldorado (1913)
• Mam'zelle Guillotine (1940)
• Lord Tony's Wife (1917)
• The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1933)
• Sir Percy Hits Back (1927)
• Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1929)
• The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1922)
• A Child of the Revolution (1932)

Finally, these last three books are about (or “written” by) the Scarlet Pimpernel’s descendants:
• The Pimpernel and Rosemary (1924)
• The Life and Exploits of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1938)
• The Scarlet Pimpernel Looks at the World (1933)

Well, I hope that helps you, and it looks like I'm going to be reading about the Scarlet Pimpernel for a very long time. I'm so excited. Thank you, Baroness Orczy, for writing so much! Also, there's a super Scarlet Pimpernel everything website that includes electronic versions of all the books: blakeneymanor.com. Check it out.

Recent Read: "Wurzel Flummery" by A. A. Milne

This play was really fun to read. I'm on a roll with Milne! I can't believe how successful he his at so many genres--comedy, children's stories, mystery, and fairytale. This play was really funny and a really creative plot. I would want to perform it for a talent show or something!

Recent Read: "The Red House Mystery" by A. A. Milne

This book was AMAZING. Proof: I finished reading it myself one day and the next started it all over again, aloud, with my husband. It's refreshingly different than Holmes stories, and Milne even makes fun of how the characters are pretending to be Holmes. I really like how he doesn't take himself too seriously. It's a battle of wits, but in the middle I had no idea what was going to happen and started getting really nervous! I think that's the refreshing part. We know Holmes so much, but I didn't know what Milne would do with his characters, which really kept me on the edge of my seat.

Recent Read: Once on a Time by A. A. Milne

If you only think of Winnie the Pooh when you hear A. A. Milne's name, you are missing out! We read some of his essays in one of my creative non-fiction classes, and I just ran across this book. It is ridiculous and pure fun. I LOVED how and who the princess marries in the end.

Recent Read: The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

I'm hooked! I had heard that the sequels weren't very good, but I just like that there's more Pimpernel to enjoy! This book was really fun. It's a collection of "short stories"--but some long short stories that are like 10 chapters long. It felt like a collection of superhero adventures, and I loved it. They used some of the small episodes in the Jane Seymour movie, which, again, made me like the movie a little more. I think I'm going to move on to the fourth book really soon!

Recent Read: El Dorado by Baroness Orczy

The greatest mystery about this book is the title. I still don't get it, but oh well. 
 
This book is really what the Jane Seymour movie is based on, which makes me like the movie a little more but also took out all the surprises from the book. 

What really struck me in reading this book is how Orczy's romances are about married people. The Blakeneys and the Ffoulkes are passionately in love, which is so refreshing. Most love stories are about single people, but Orczy believes in true love even after marriage. I love the ending of this book when Marguerite thinks they have died and Percy laughs.

If you have never read the first Scarlet Pimpernel book, get yourself a copy right away. It's a must!

Recent Read: Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

One of my friends recommended this to me as her favorite Gaskell book. It felt a lot like Cranford but with more of a streamlined plot. Even the Miss Brownings in Wives and Daughters are pretty much the same characters as the Miss Jenkyns in Cranford. Wives and Daughters also felt a lot like Pride and Prejudice, if the latter were about Jane instead of Lizzy. Molly is a sweet character and has moments of fire-ups, which gives me hope for her. Gaskell is pretty predictable in this book, but it was a pleasant read. Most of all, I really enjoyed imagining Colin Firth as Mr. Gibson, Molly's father. I think the scene when Rodger leaves for Africa for the second time is going to be one of my favorite scenes in all literature.

Recent Read: Bleak House by Charles Dickens

The first two chapters were pretty rough, but I know Dickens well enough to plough through and so far it's been worth it. The changes in narrators has been a little confusing, but  this book has also been full of fun Dickens characters, which has been really enjoyable. I have to say that Allan Woodcourt has to be my new favorite hero. The moment when Esther looks in the mirror for the first time has to be one of the most amazing passages that I've ever read. And I can't believe how Dickens tricked me with the framing of the murder!

Recent Read: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

First note: this book isn’t about the Civil War, as the title made me ignorantly think before I read it. It is by a British author set in England.

When I came across the proposal in the second chapter, I started wondering if this would be just another Victorian novel, some generic comedy of errors perhaps, but Gaskell sure got me interested as Margaret’s life is quickly uprooted and spun about in ways she, and we, couldn’t expect.

North and South has been a very enjoyable read. Gaskell’s masterful storytelling is akin to Jane Austen in its exposure of human relationships and Charles Dickens in its social commentary. Gaskell forces her characters to address big topics like social class, labor rights, environmental concerns head-on. I keep asking myself over and over again why I haven’t ever read this book before.

Harry Potter V: Thoughts, Complaints, and Defense

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my least favorite volume in the Harry Potter series. I think it was the first book in the series that I was waiting for from the day I finished the book before, and it was a several year wait. Things were so intense at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book four), that I had high expectations for the fifth book—expectations that were not met.

The trouble with Harry Potter V is on two counts: First, it is so long, and, second, it is so cranky. Long was a good thing in book four with so much going on, but in book five nothing happens and it’s so long. As I started reading the series for probably my third complete run-through, I decided that this was book five’s last chance. If I still felt like it was a drag to read after this time through, in the future I would just start skipping it.

Well, I happened to not hate Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quite so much this time, so for now it has been redeemed and I will probably read it again, someday. I read this time looking for elements that J.K. Rowling ties into the seventh book, and found quite a few. Maybe another difference is that I’m a little more grown up now (I think the book first came out when I wasn’t much older than fifteen (like Harry) myself), so the teenage perspective is far enough away that I can appreciate it better.

The following points used to be my complaints about Harry Potter V, but I’m starting to change my mind and decide that the book really isn’t all that bad.

1) Tantrums: Harry is emotionally out of control in this book, and it’s really annoying. I never felt like his personality was the angry type, but he does a lot of lashing out, yelling, and throwing in this book. On the other hand, weren’t we all like that as teenagers—at least to some extent? And where do teenage tantrums come from? I think Harry’s life shows how difficult it is for teenagers to start handling adult situations and problems with still only a child’s emotional coping system.

2) Weakness: In this book, Sirius is immature, Mrs. Weasley is over-protective, and Dumbledore is neglectful. But for Harry, the emotions of these situations are magnified at least ten times, and it’s pretty annoying, especially since these are some of our favorite characters. Personally, I especially hate how we see so many of Sirius’ imperfections. However, stripping down her characters to real flaws and imperfections is a pretty courageous move for J.K. Rowling, and it makes them much more real. Harry’s feelings are also very real; don’t we all harbor a sense of frustration, denial, injustice, and anger as we grow up and realize that the adults around us are still growing and learning too? It’s especially amazing that J.K.Rowling has the guts to work the theme that Dumbledore doesn’t have all the answers throughout the last three books. Although at first the realization that adults aren’t perfect makes Harry feel cheated and vulnerable, in the end it gives him strength to know that his best is all that’s expected of him—he doesn’t have to know everything in order to make good choices either.

3) Pacing: When the fourth book ends, we’re ready to pick up the next and jump right back into action. Bring on Voldemort—we’re ready to fight! And for hundreds of pages, nothing happens. This was my top complaint when the book first came out, but as I thought over Rowlings pacing this time, I’ve realized that it’s pretty ingenious because, after all, we feel just as frustrated as, and along with, Harry. And isn’t that exactly how life is? Not only is life full of ups and downs, it’s also full of speed ups and slow downs. Just when we’re ready for events and hard-core choices to flash by, something breaks down, hits the breaks, and pulls us to a stop in whatever progression we thought we were on and wherever we thought we were going. Life isn’t like a constant roller-coaster; usually you have to wait in line between rides, sometimes for a long time. While this type of pacing allows Rowling to draw the story out into a long series, it’s also pretty true to how life is.

Recent Read: Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier

Oh, I love this book! My husband was so skeptical because we have the red fabric cover that makes it look like a racy romance novel, but after the first chapter he couldn't help but admit that du Maurier's writing is amazing--brilliant and vivid. I like the cover I've posted here because the first line of the novel just thrills me: "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." I know this is the second gothic romantic suspense novel I've put my husband through in the last month, but I figured the Halloween season was a good time to read Rebecca again, and we both loved it! Brian was a little depressed when he found out it wasn't a happy book, but once the truth in the plot came out he wouldn't let us stop reading. This is a book I don't think I'll ever tire of!

Jane Eyre: My Forever Favorite

Every time I read this book it is just as amazing as the first time. I love Bronte's deep plot that takes you so many place and so many directions. I love that the characters overcome a great hardship and become better for it and there is still a happy ending. I love that Jane is the perfect heroine. I love Bronte's deep belief in true and enduring love.