What's On My Nightstand: May 2012

Another month has evaporated, but I am happy to report that this week marks the end of a LOT of commitments. I'm sure the next three months will fill up quickly, but for now we have next to nothing on our calendar and I am so ready for that!

In spite of the hectic life I've been leading for the last four weeks I did manage to fit in a little reading during the month of May. I finished Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens! (Excellent read, btw.) I also finished a couple quick reads, Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie and the children's fantasy novel Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

So what does that leave on my nightstand to be read in the coming month? It's an interesting mix...

Up first I have the goal to read three books before the next book club meeting in July. This time we are reading and cross-comparing three young adult novels. They are: Sydney Taylor's All-Of-A-Kind Family, Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy, and L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. All three of these books were written by women who lived during the turn of the last century. They are also about family and day-to-day life in three very different places. It should make for a fun discussion.

I've read Betsy-Tacy and Anne of Green Gables before, so I'm looking forward the rare treat of re-reading. I've never read All-Of-A-Kind Family (I think...) so I plan to start with that one first. I also have hopes that when I do re-read Betsy-Tacy I will be able to do so by reading it aloud to my almost 5-year-old daughter. (For those who don't know, in the first Betsy-Tacy book both Betsy and Tacy are five years old, so this is a fitting time to read it aloud.)

And as time permits I also have planned to read:

• The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
• People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
• Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

I'm curious about People of the Book since a friend mentioned her book club would be reading and discussing it. As for Vanity Fair, it's a hefty read, but one I've wanted to tackle for some time. It might take me all summer, but I am determined to get through it.

So, that's all for my nightstand. What about you? What are you currently reading? Leave me a comment and let me know. Looking for ideas? Be sure to stop by 5 Minutes for Books to see the May edition of the What's On My Nightstand post link-ups. I know I always find many ideas as I browse the other posts.

Happy reading!

Memorable Mothers in Literature

It's Mother's Day weekend, which brought to mind a question. Who is my favorite "mother" from literature? And why?

There a number of excellent mothers within literature and a number of bad mothers. I put together a list of ten that came to mind, but I'm sure there are many many more.

1. Mrs. Bennet (Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen)
2. Mrs. Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen)
3. Mrs. March "Marmee" (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)
4. Mrs. Ingalls (Little House In the Big Woods [etc.] by Laura Ingalls Wilder)
5. Mrs. Ray (Betsy-Tacy [etc.] by Maud Hart Lovelace
6. Marilla Cuthbert (Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery)
7. Molly Weasley (Harry Potter [etc.] J. K. Rowling)
8. Mrs. Darling (Peter Pan by J. M. Barie)
9. Anne Shirley (Anne of Ingleside by Luce Maud Montgomery)
10. "Mama" (All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor)
My personal favorites include Mrs. Ray and Mrs. Ingalls, but that doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed the others equally as much... well except for Mrs. Bennet!

What about you? Who is your favorite mother from literature and why? Are there other mothers you think should be added to this list? Let me know!

Happy Mother's Day to all you readers who are also mothers... or in some cases mothers who are also readers!

The Daunting List

One of the things I love about having a Facebook page is that I can follow so many different authors, publishers, and writing/book related pages and they often have such interesting posts or link-ups. Recently the "Charles Dickens" page had this link: 14 Daunting Books Every Man Must Read.

I can't say that I agree with all of his choices. While there are some that I have absolutely no desire to ever pick up (which means I won't), there are also a couple I have read and a few I hope to one day read. One that I definitely thinks is worth the time is Little Dorrit. SUCH a good read! (You can find my review of Little Dorrit here.)

What books are on your daunting list? Are there any cross-overs to the above list?

A Random Bit From My Life

Check out these Old Curiosity Shop themed dishes I was gifted yesterday! The set isn't complete (I'm missing the clock plates) and a few were chipped, but they were perfect to use for dinner during my book club's meeting last night. And timely too! We met to discuss Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. As always we had a delightful time of discussion and enjoyed some excellent food.

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?'

'What's for breakfast?' said Pooh. 'What do you say, Piglet?'

'I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?' said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. 'It's the same thing,' he said."

~ Winnie-The-Pooh by A. A. Milne

Happy birthday Maud!

Happy birthday to one of my all-time favorite authors! If you haven't read a book by Maud Hart Lovelace you are missing out! I would of course recommend both the Betsy-Tacy and Deep Valley series and for adults, Gentlemen From England as these are personal favorites of mine.

But you can learn more about her books by reading my reviews and checking out the past Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge posts from 2009-2011

What's On My Nightstand: April 2012

It's been a long while since I participated in the monthly What's On Your Nightstand postings. It's also been a while since I posted anything in general on this blog. For the most part I consider this blog "inactive" -- with the exception that as time allows (and as I feel inspired) I shall post. This said, I am still reading, though not as often as I have in years past. With two little ones, working part-part time from home, a move, family visits, a funeral, and various other events that make up life I have little time to read these days. I've been averaging one to two books a month and I consider this quite acceptable for this stage of life. And so, without further delay:

What's On My Nightstand for April?


Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is the front runner. Years ago I attempted to read this novel, but gave up not far into the story. (This was back in the day when I dreaded reading anything from the 19th century -- it was just too hard to read. I no longer feel this way, in fact one of my favorite novels of all time was written by Charles Dickens.) Recently I had thought about re-reading Oliver Twist and now thanks to the ladies in my book club (who selected it as our next book to read and discuss) I have picked it up again and am determined to make a successful finish of it before the start of May. So far I'm enjoying the read... The opening scenes reminds me a tad of Jane Eyre.
 

Cat Among Pigeons by Agatha Christie. Where would I be if I didn't have a cozy-mystery sitting near by? I love the challenge of a mystery to solve, plus these reads are quick and light (well maybe not in content, but certainly in writing style) and thus work great when I'm tired, but still want to read. I'm still working towards my goal of reading all of Christie's mystery novels by order of publication. I started this personal challenge in 2008 and expect to finish by next year.

I am also reading Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne to my 4 year old daughter. We read a chapter or two each afternoon and she is really enjoying the story as well as the one-on-one time together. I've really enjoyed the humor woven within this simple children's story. I've come to appreciate Milne more this time around than when I first picked up the book years ago.






So that is what is currently on my reading "nightstand". What about you? Curious to see what others are reading? Be sure to check out this month's post and link-up at 5 Minutes for Books.