Category: Ruminations

Blog Hop: Five Books to Grab

On By cherylmahoneyIn Blog Hop, Ruminations14 Comments

I’m joining in with the Book Blogger Hop again today, when bloggers discuss bookish topics!

book blogger hop

This week’s question is: What are the top 5 books you would grab in an emergency?

I’m not entirely sure what this question means…I mean, the five books I would read during a personal crisis are not necessarily the same five books I would choose if I was only going to have access to five books for an extended period…  But let’s assume the point here is, which five books would you choose if you could only have five books.  Say, on an extended spaceflight to Mars.  I like that better than the idea of being stuck on a desert island, where I’d need books about survival on a desert island!

So if I was on a long spaceflight and could only bring five books…

1) The Bible, although that’s so obvious it almost feels like cheating.

2) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (unabridged), because I read so quickly, I’d need something that would last.  Which is an argument in favor of the Bible too, apart from spiritual inspiration.

3) Susan Kay’s Phantom because, I mean, it’s Susan Kay’s Phantom and I just madly love it.

4) The Little White Bird by J. M. Barrie because it’s a wonderful, lovely, magical book.  Plus, even a spaceflight to Mars would probably have its alarming and homesick moments, and this would make a perfect comfort read.  George Davies, the boy who inspired David in the book, brought a copy with him to the trenches in World War I.

5) And finally, The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery, because I couldn’t possibly get by without any Montgomery, and this is my favorite of her novels.  Though I’d be tempted to bring Volume I of her journals instead.

And if, as I know I surely would, I decided to toss a pair of shoes out of my luggage and squeeze in two more books…

6) The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce–there is an omnibus edition, so it could be counted as one.  Alanna is the most inspiring of heroines, and every so often, everyone needs to believe that they can do anything.

7) Something Terry Pratchett…possibly Night Watch.  Because of course I’d need something funny too.

And then I’d probably have to discard some more clothes so that I could bring something by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and also If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland, and a spaceflight to Mars really would be a good moment to read some favorite Star Trek books, and so we begin to see why I have three enormous bookcases in my small apartment!

So if you had to grab five books, for a spaceflight to Mars or maybe if you were on a desert island, what would you snatch up?

Springing Into Fantasy

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations31 Comments

Today marks the launch of spring–and of the Once Upon a Time Reading Experience, hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.  This will be my third year participating, and I’ve been looking forward to joining in again.  If someone was going to design a reading challenge around my favorite kinds of books…it would look a lot like this one.  I mean, fantasy with an emphasis on fairy tales!  That’s what I read (and what I write too).

I’ve been telling myself that I’ll make progress on my To Be Read list over the next three months, since so many of the books on it are fantasy.  This, of course, ignores that fact that I’ll probably add tons of wonderful new books too…but shhh, let’s not talk about that right now!

I have far too many books that fall into this Experience to list them all here, but I’ll give you a few initial ideas…

~ Stardust by Neil Gaiman, for the group read-along

~ Chalice by Robin McKinley, which I started yesterday…but close enough

~ Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (a reread) and its once-removed sequel, Princess of the Silver Woods (because I already read the immediate sequel, Princess of Glass)

~ The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, to get me set up for the real challenge…

~ The Lord of the Rings trilogy–or at least a good attempt at them

~ Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, because…Pratchett and Gaiman!  How have I not already read this?

~ The House on Durrow Street and The Master of Heathcrest Hall by Galen Beckett, as I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the trilogy, The Magicians and Mrs. Quent

~ The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, which I read SO long ago that I’ve completely forgotten them, and now I feel like they’re a gap in my McKinley reading

~ More installments of the Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marillier, part of my goal to complete series

And, oh, so many, many random fantasy novels…really, the list above barely scratches the surface!  Well, scratches it, maybe, but not so far as a dent.  So, I’m not worrying too much about which books I read, or how many, or which Quests they fit into.  I’ll just toss lots of books into the air (metaphorically) and let them fall where they will.  I hope you’ll come along for the fun!

What Are You Reading This Spring?

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations, What Are You Reading?14 Comments

itsmondayTime to join in again for the Book Journey meme, “It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?”

I finished reading and reviewing Les Miserables, which was quite the long haul.  Read the review(s!) here: Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

I read and enjoyed the other books on my previous list, with reviews coming up in the next week.  I’ll have Scarlet up tomorrow.  (Addendum: It’s up now!)

Right now I’m in the middle of My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier, because I love her most famous book, Rebecca.  I first heard about this one years ago, and thought I didn’t want to read it because it was too much like Rebecca–another mysterious woman who may be good or may be monstrous, though in this case it’s her husband who died under mysterious circumstances.  So I put that one at the back of my mind and read three other, very different, books by du Maurier…and didn’t find them to be all that good.  Yet I’m convinced by Rebecca that du Maurier is absolutely brilliant!  And thus I’m deciding that maybe it makes sense after all to read her most Rebecca-like other book.  So far, I’m liking it better than the others!

Spring BooksAfter this one, I have a big stack of fantasy I’m eager to jump into.  The Once Upon a Time “challenge” runs every spring, and I may just start in on the fantasy a few days early.  I have a number of rereads piled up, but I want to take a new perspective on them: Chalice by Robin McKinley, because I want to look at it as a Beauty and the Beast retelling; Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, because it was only the second “12 Dancing Princesses” story I ever read, and now I’ve read eight or ten, and written one; The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien which I haven’t read since I was maybe twelve.  And I am vowing and swearing to read Lord of the Rings this spring, and The Hobbit seems like good gateway-Tolkien.

And last, I have been meaning to read Good Omens pretty much forever.  Because, I mean, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman!

I’ll let you know how it goes.  🙂  Happy Spring and Happy Reading this week!

Saturday Snapshot: Park Visit

On By cherylmahoneyIn Saturday Snapshot8 Comments

Spring seems to have arrived very suddenly this year, and about a week early.  In the spirit of the season, here are a couple of pictures from the park this past week.  I was there to visit the library…and snapped a couple of shots too.

Tree in bloomMost of the trees have already gone to leaf, but I got this one still in bloom.

SquirrelAnd I got a picture of this little guy, without disturbing his dinner!

Have a nice weekend. 🙂  Visit At Home with Books for more Saturday Snapshots.

Blog Hop: Casting Your Favorite Books

On By cherylmahoneyIn Blog Hop, Ruminations3 Comments

Remember last fall I participated in the Book Blogger Hop a few times?  I had fun with it, but then I got distracted or something, and haven’t looked at it in quite a while.  I finally checked back in, and found some very interesting discussion topics in upcoming weeks!

book blogger hop

This week’s question is: If you could turn one of your favorite books into a film, who would you cast?

I am so immensely intrigued by this question!  And after spending quite a few minutes staring at my bookshelves and thinking…I found out I’m immensely bad at answering it.  I have a theory, though.  See, my favorite books are often my favorites because the characters are so vivid and alive–to the point that I can’t imagine any actor filling that role.

I’d love to see a movie version of Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness quartet…but how could anyone possibly live up to the role of Alanna?  I don’t think it can be done.

But I did hit on one book I could cast–Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean.  It’s a Peter Pan sequel, and practically the only sequel-to-a-classic-by-a-different-author that I actually like.  In fact, it’s excellent and I highly recommend it!  There are only three major roles–Wendy, who I think could be played very well by Chloe Grace Moretz, recently in Hugo.  She could handle a nice mix of child and seriousness.  Then there’s Ravello, the sinister but charming villain, for whom I would cast Johnny Depp (probably surprising no one!)  I struggled on who could play Peter, but finally hit on someone–Daniel Huttlestone, who played Gavroche in Les Miserables.  He could definitely play another cheeky, cocky boy.

So what book would you like to see as a film?  And who would you cast?