A Christmas Blizzard

Since listening to Lake Wobegon Days on tape I have been looking into more of Garrison Keillor's works. I picked up A Christmas Blizzard last week and am reading it on my lunches. Every page has me laughing. It isn't a very long book and is supposed to be similar to A Christmas Carol by Dickens. I shall keep reading and will let you know what I think about the book when I finish.

H.P. Lovecraft

The other day I picked up the book Great Tales of Horror. It is a collection of stories by Lovecraft. I had never read any of his stories before now. There is a creepiness in his works tat give chills. Poe is one of my favorite authors so isn't surprising that I enjoy Lovecraft. I read the short story 'The Statement of Randolph Carter' and immediately began another story 'The Thing on the Doorstep.' If you enjoy horror stories then I would pick up one of Lovecraft's pieces.

Keeping a Journal

I found some excellent resources for getting started writing a journal. I know with myself sometimes I can sit down and just write whatever comes to my mind. Other times it is more difficult to keep the pen moving. The first is a book titled Room to Write: daily invitations to a writer's life by Bonni Goldberg. Each page contains a new scenario or idea to write about. I usually find one I want to use that day and title my journal entry with the name of the scenario/idea and page number. Then I write until I can't. I find it good to set apart a specific time period in the day and stick to it. Let's say you save thirty minutes for journaling - you keep the pen moving even if it's the same word. Eventually others will join it. I find it's easier to keep a separate blog or word document because typing is faster and the muscles are more active. We sadly don't write by hand as much. The next resource is a webpage with links to different topics. 'Creative Writing Now' (http://www.creative-writing-now.com/writing-journal.html) provides tips on how to write, what to write about, how to go about your daily life to soak in as much information as possible to help you with the content of your entries. In high school I took a creative writing class and loved it. At the beginning of the class we had to write for ten minutes and couldn't stop. He didn't care if half the page held the same sentence. It was a way to keep the mind thinking and to build up the wrist and forearm muscles. It was one of my favorite classes. The last resource is just a list of benefits to journaling (http://www.appleseeds.org/100_journaling.htm) things you may not think about. Stress relief, creative outlook, life outlook, etc.

Journaling isn't something I do often enough because life gets away from me and I stop for a few weeks but then start up again. But I plan on making it a daily thing from now on. I do have a work journal going right now and will pick up my creative writing journal again. It is a stress reliever; plus I always have all this stuff going on in my head that I might as well write it down!

If you want more about journaling all you have to do is Google it and you will be bombarded with more tips.

'every soul a star'

This was another book that just caught my eye when walking by it. The author is Wendy Mass. I hadn't heard about her until this book. After reading 'every soul has a star' I will probably check out some more of hers. It is a young adult book that is about life changes and how to accept and grow with them. The three main characters Ally, Bree, and Jack get to know each other during a two-week period in the summer that centers around a total eclipse of the sun. Ally has always lived at the campground Moon Shadow where everyone is coming to look at the eclipse. Bree is the popular kid who is all about fashion and makeup and plans to be the next top model. The third is Jack who is a pudgy, awkward kid who is into scifi, art, and being by himself. He fails science which creates this opening to go on a field trip. All three of these teenagers are so different; yet they find that they are more alike than they would have thought. This book actually reminds me of the movie The Breakfast Club in how at the beginning they are from different cliques and at the end of detention they are friends. Teenagers could relate to the three characters and learn how to handle situations when your life gets flip-flopped. This is also a quick, cute read that you can finish it a couple days and move on to more.

'endless universe'

endless universe by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a science fiction work written in 1975. Bradley is known for the Darkover novels which I will be looking into soon. This book is about the explorers on the spaceship Gyspy Moth. The time is the future where there are explorers that discover new planets, set up transmitters, and move on to the next planet never really returning to previously discovered planets. To be an explorer you are taken at birth and grow up on the spaceship you'll spend your life on. It is interesting because you learn how they age differently from non-explorers because of space travel as well how they are a family unit yet not a family by blood ties. You also feel the contempt of non-explorers towards them for how they get new explorers. The book takes you through the discovery of a few planets and the development of Gildoran, the main character's, views as an adult and explorer. He is challenged with life and death decisions as captain and it makes him think. It is an interesting take on space travel and how humans and other beings would exist if there were transmitters to step into and a few minutes later you'd walk out onto a different planet. The transmitter reminds me of the stargate from the television show; just another way for humans to travel through space. 

Two months since last post!

I really need to be reading more. It's not like I don't own enough books to keep me busy. Plus I do have some on my Kindle that need to be finished. I'm still reading Map of Time and am enjoying it. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, the second in her series, just came out too so I have quite a bit of reading.

A friend and I visited the bookstore in town finally. It has been there for two years I believe. When you walk in it is just book after book. It's amazing how much he has in the small space. Sadly most of his business is through online sales. But I picked up three old books (not sure if they are classics or not). They are short books so they shouldn't take me too long once I finally sit down to read them. I'll have to schedule reading into my days.

"The Map of Time"

I have had this book for awhile and was never really pulled in within the first chapter. But recently I sat down and made myself keep reading and now I am hooked. Felix Palma is writing about a man in the upper class of London who falls for a prostitute. He begins the book in the present and goes to the past to bring the reader up to the present. There are of course murders of prostitutes taking place which I was starting to link to the infamous Jack the Ripper and then Palma comes out and introduces this serial killer to the plot through newsclippings and articles. Now I'm definitely hooked.

"The Grand Defiance" finished

I would recommend this book; especially if you like action and history. However, I was not left in a good mood at the end of the book. I know there can't always be happy endings.
**Spoiler Alert**
I knew that de Forge would escape and make it back to France. However, I was upset with how the French government capitulated to Germany and Hitler about the return of de Forge to the Germans. I know that France was occupied by Germany at this time. I just would have thought there would have been more resistance and ability to get de Forge to the Americans. De Forge was left to be on the run with his family. He did have an amazing escape from prison and I believe that helped morale with some French. But all in all I was disappointed with how the French handled his escape once he was out of Germany. Frizell did a great job though with suspense and action. I was continually turning the page to see what happened next on de Forge's flight.

"The Grand Defiance"

Alright - I'm still reading "Dracula" but I did start reading "The Grand Defiance" by Bernard Frizell. It is another book that I found downstairs in my mom's collection. It was written in 1972 and although it is based around the fictional French General de Forge who escapes from a Nazi prison camp; it is based on fact. This is a period of time that has always fascinated and intrigued me. The book is moving along pretty quickly and is bringing in different aspects of WWII and how prisoners, depending on rank, were treated. I am really liking this book.

"blood red horse"

I just finished "blood red horse" and enjoyed it. This is a good young adult book set in the time of the crusades. It is centered around a horse, Hosanna, and the two brothers and girl that are a part of his life. You see the way Hosanna touches everyone he meets. The brothers travel with their father and many others to the crusades. Grant shows you what the travel was probably like and how life was back at home for the women. It is the first in a trilogy so I will have to eventually read the rest to see what happens to the family and of course King Richard.

Currently Reading...

I am currently reading a few books. I am determined to finish Dracula this month. I also picked up "blood red horse" by K. M. Grant. It is book one of the de Granville trilogy for young adults. It historical fiction set in the beginning of the crusades. So far it is turning out to be a good read. The last book is still "The Neverending Story." It is the book I keep in my car for reading. Consequently I'm only half way; but I really do like the story. If I sat down and really read I could finish these books and move on to more. I'm catching up on classics and young adult fiction.

Weeding out my Collection

I finally did it! A couple months ago I went through my books and brought about two boxes to Half Price. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. A lot of them were books from classes that I read and won't pick up again. They were good - but I have a different direction in mind for my collection. There are also certain editions of my favorites that I want so I weeded out those too. I still have quite a bit; and I also didn't update my excel worksheet. Oops. I'll have to go back and do that.

That project is done. Now to make the six (possibly nine) drawer card catalog. I have the design in my mind. I just have to actually construct. Too many projects!

A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

This book was recommended by two coworkers. I really enjoyed it. The main characters are a witch and a vampire. Then of course there are also daemons and humans. Harkness brings in a few different story lines and moves the story along quickly so you don't have a lull. There is of course the forbidden love between a vampire and a witch but that seems to be the theme in many teen romances. Now I'm waiting for book two to come out. I think I have a few more months. So if you want a quick fun read I would pick this up.