The End of Summer

photograph by me

 The leaves are tinged crimson and gold. The evenings are becoming crisp and autumnal. Everywhere the wind is whispering of apple cider, scarves, cinnamon & nutmeg, and football. This is the first week of autumn. I’m a bit reluctant to say goodbye to summer. But, hey— God created four seasons for a reason and Vivaldi didn’t do so shabby as a result.

 Before I admit how many books I managed to read this summer, I’d like to quickly explain why I fell off the face of blogosphere last week. Last Monday (the 14th) after I finished working, I came down with a bug and spent the next couple days in unpleasant misery until I settled into a cold. I still have the cold but I am definitely much more clear in my thoughts.

 Now, my fellow bibliophiles, to business.

 I started out my summer of with a list of thirty-one books/series I wanted to read. Needless to say, I didn’t stick to that list. One look at my Goodreads shelves would prove that. I ended up reading twenty-five books. Roughly, about eleven of them were actually on my list when I put it together in May.

 Instead of listing off the titles of all the books I read, I would like to focus in and mention several of the ones that really jumped out at me.

 Pied Piper by Nevil Shute. I love this book. Dearly. The characters, the setting, and the story are incredible. I wrote a review here.

 Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. Oh, Dickens how I love you! I snagged an audiobook of this off Audible for my free trial and it was a masterpiece. Narrated by David Timson, this story came alive and I quickly found myself deeply invested in the characters and the story. It was a fantastic reminder as to why I love Dickens so much and I highly recommend it. By the way, his commentary on London society is brilliant.

 Cards On the Table by Agatha Christie. My favorite Hercule Poirot mystery to date, this one is very much worth reading. I would elaborate more but I'm afraid of giving out spoilers. I should hate to spoil it for you.

 The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. I read this in August during a read along with Annie Hawthorne of Curious Wren. An excellent piece of historical fiction, Sutcliff's rich writing and historical detail in this is matchless. Britain during the Roman Empire truly comes alive under her pen.

 The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse. I set forth on a great hunt to find a copy of this book after Annie lauded its praises on Goodreads. It was hilarious, my dear fellow bibliophiles. Never has a cow creamer had so many intrigues and attempted robberies surrounding it.

 The Prince of Fishes by Suzannah Rowntree. I had the grand opportunity of reading this and writing a review of it for its release. People, buy it. It is gold. You can read my review here.

 Some Christmas Camouflage by Elisabeth Grace Foley. I picked up this gem while on a Kindle book shopping spree. It was utterly delightful and even topped O.Henry's famous Gift of the Magi in my personal rankings. And it's only 99 cents! You should definitely pick up a copy of this to read during the Christmas season.

What were your favorite reads of the summer?

Fred Astaire and Writers

via Pinterest

   Have you ever seen one of Fred Astaire’s films? The excellence he achieved with his dancing is unparalleled. I doubt you will ever find anyone willing to disagree with the point that he was, and still is, the best dancer that ever set foot in Hollywood. Gene Kelly can’t hold a candle to him— sorry, American In Paris and Singing In the Rain.

   Fred Astaire is known for his drive for a flawless performance. If he made a mistake, he would start over from the beginning. If one detail was wrong, he’d redo the entire dance. Maybe this was carrying perfectionism a little too far, but the result of that perfectionism we see in his films is marvelous to watch. No one can dance like Fred Astaire because he took the time to go back and correct his mistakes, rehearse the number repeatedly, and well, let’s face it, he had the talent. But here’s the thing about talent: you have to hone it, train it, and practice like mad to turn it into a skill and something beautiful. And that’s what Fred Astaire did.

   As writers we all strive to improve our writing. We read the great classics of literature, the ones that have stood the test of time, and we write. Writing is different than dance, true— writers create art with words, while dancers use their bodies. But some of the principles are the same. Dancers train and rehearse. Writers write multiple drafts, edit, and polish them until they are satisfied with the results. This writing process basically equates to the dancer’s training and rehearsals. We both keep at it until we’ve perfected our art to the high level we want it to be.

   So, what can Fred Astaire teach us left-footed writers? Don’t give up and keep writing until you get it write. Pun intended.

Curious Wren Blog Party Tag

 My Twitter writing friend Annie Hawthorne set up shop in the blogosphere the other week. Curious Wren, her blog, promises to be filled with reading and writing chats of epic proportions and I heartily recommend that you hop over there and get acquainted. She gave away stuff- sorry, this didn't go up soon enough to advertise the giveaway- and has created this wonderful book-themed blog tag.

1. What was the last book you read, and would you recommend it? The last book I finished was It Took a War by Emily Ann Putzke— a Civil War story of growing up and family relationships. I would heartily recommend it to people of all ages. It's a good one.

2. Describe the perfect reading spot. Well... it all depends on the weather and amount of insects infesting my backyard. When it's warm out, there is nothing quite like sprawling out on a quilt in the backyard and burying yourself in a good book. But if insect and weather forbids, I will read pretty much anywhere inside the house— at my desk, on the floor, on the sofa, on my bed, on my parent's bed, or sitting on the kitchen counter.

3. Favorite book beverage? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Tears of your readers? Again, it really depends on the weather. I have been known to drink all of those while reading and writing. Well, except for that last one. ;)

4. Share favorite quotes from four books.
   "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

   "They were right upon him, a thunder of hooves that seemed to fill the universe; black manes streaming against the sky; the team that he had called his brothers, only two days ago. He hurled his shield clanging among them, and side-stepped, looking up into the grey face of Cradoc, the charioteer. For one splinter of a time their eyes met in something that was almost a salute, a parting salute between two who might have been friends; then Marcus leapt in under the spearman's descending thrust, upward and sideways across the chariot bow." - The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

   "He floated out, and I leaped three feet. A dashed difficult thing to do, when you're sitting in an armchair, but I managed it.
   "'Jeeves!' I yelled.
   "But he had gone, leaving not a wrack behind." - The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse

   "We make art because we like art. We're drawn to certain kinds of work because we're inspired by people doing that work. All fiction, in fact, is fan fiction." - Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon

5. What is your most loved fantasy read? Dystopia? Contemporary? Sci-fi? Classic? My favorite fantasy would definitely have to be The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. I love that book. Dystopia? I don't think I've ever read anything that classifies in that genre. There are a few I am considering trying at some point, though. Contemporary? Excuse me, while I wrack my brain for a moment. Ummm... I don't think I have a favorite contemporary novel. I have only read a few and those didn't strike me well enough to become a favorite. Better read up on that genre too. Sic-fi? *raises hand* Does Freddy and the Flying Saucer Plans by Walter R. Brooks count? That is one of my favorites from the whole Freddy the Pig series. Classic? Dear me. There are too many to count. I recently finished Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens and that made my favorites list, so I'd like to mention it. I also have great affection for Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.

6. List three authors you’ve collected the most books from. First, without a shadow of doubt, is Agatha Christie. I have three volumes of five-in-one editions, a slew of old paperback editions, and a mix of reprints. Second, is Brock and Bodie Thoene. I own their WWII series and I'm missing only one book from their Zion Chronicles series. Third, would probably have to be Marguerite Henry.

7. What are your thoughts on magic in literature? I am still sorting my thoughts out on this. I was fine with the way C.S. Lewis handled magic in his Chronicles of Narnia. He was very definite about good and evil, and I like those lines to be very clear. Tolkien handled it pretty well, too. Overall, though, I don't run into magic a lot in literature because I mainly read historical fiction.

8. What types of book covers capture your imagination most strongly? Feel free to include images. Oh, I do love a good book cover! Anyone else go to Barnes & Noble to gape at the beautiful covers of the new releases? Or spend hours drooling on Goodreads? Well, I firmly believe a good cover is essential to any book's success. Let's face it, if you like the cover there is a higher chance you're going to pick it up and read the back cover blurb. I have enjoyed some of the newer covers I've spotted over the last year. There has been a trend towards minimalistic covers and I've loved a number of those. But, I'm usually pretty varied. I just cannot stand most book covers from the 1970s/80s/90s. Sorry. Just, no. Here are a few covers that have captured my attention. (Quick disclaimer: I haven't read two of these books and, therefore, can't say whether I would recommend or endorse them. If I've read it, I'll post the link to my review or Goodreads rating below.)

pictures via Goodreads

My review of The Prince of Fishes

My rating of The 39 Steps

9. Mention the first book character that comes to mind. Elaborate on this. Richard Hannay. I think this is heavily influenced by the fact that I just posted the cover of The 39 Steps above and my mother just finished reading the book. Anyhow, he was a good chap in that book and I am on the hunt for the second book in John Buchan's Richard Hannay Series.

10. Do you lend out your books? Or is that the equivalent to giving away your babies? I have only lent out a book to someone outside of my family once. Let's just say I anxiously awaited its safe return. Generally, I don't go around letting people borrow my books. Well, to be honest, I've only been asked if someone could borrow a book once. I prefer not to.