book love

We're getting ready to go on vacation. It's very exciting and very much needed. I'm looking forward to long beach days and good food and much reading. In fact I started planning which books to bring a few weeks ago, prompting the Boy to say, "You're just like the girl from Moonrise Kingdom!" It is indeed a possibility that I will be bringing a suitcase of books with me.

The books that Suzy reads were one of my favorite details in the movie, so I was happy to find this short film that explains a bit more about them.

Have you seen the movie yet? I think it's one of my favorites.

the illustrated word

Sometimes words are made better when there are pictures to go along. Perhaps that's why these books below are some of my very favorites.

The Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. Illustrated by Keith Thompson. Intricate and sharp depictions of metal and gears with victorian flair. Hidden identities and fantastical animal species.

The Hobbit. Written and Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien. Maps and quests, mountain ranges and a fearsome dragon.

The Little House Books. Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams. Black and white drawings of covered wagons and life on the prairie. These classics wouldn't be the same without the charming illustrations.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy. Illustrated by Carson Ellis. Dark magic in a mysterious wood, talking animals, giant birds and brave bandits. Quirky and colorful.

Swallows and Amazons, written and illustrated by Arthur Ransome. Sailboats, an island, Robinson Crusoe and summer adventure.

reading list

Is there anything better to do in summer than read in the sun? I started this year off with rather lofty reading goals that I may or may not be able to achieve, but it has definitely prompted me to get back in the reading groove. Here are some of the pages I've had my nose buried in lately, plus a few that I'm setting aside for my upcoming vacation!

The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett

I hesitate to mention this series here, because I'm not sure how to describe it. These books rank very high on my list of favorites so this was actually a re-read for me. The first book in the series takes place in 1547 Scotland and introduces us to Francis Crawford of Lymond, an antihero of epic proportions. Dunnett masterfully weaves her characters into the middle of historical events with great detail. Her language is beautiful but very dense and hard to follow at times, so it can be a struggle until you give up on understanding and just enjoy the ride. These books have delighted me, made me laugh, given me a better appreciation of poetry and language, and kept me up until dawn. Some crying may have happened along the way as well. I wish I could say more about the plot, but it's all so intricate that I'm afraid I couldn't do it justice. This review I stumbled across says it much better. Suffice to say I love this series and I'm very happy to have had a chance to revisit the world of Francis Crawford.

The Mary Russell Novels - Laurie R. King

Honestly, when I first heard the premise for these books, I was a little skeptical. A young girl, taken on as an apprentice to Sherlock Homes? It seemed like it could get a bit cheesy. And now, here I am, about to dive into the ninth book in the series. These are the sorts of mysteries I really enjoy. Very engaging and with enough suspense to keep me glued to the page, but not scary or dark in a way that will keep me up at night. There is so much talk of tea that I had to keep interrupting my reading to go put the kettle on.

Summer Reading List

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin - Yeah, ok, I totally got hooked on the show. I can't wait for it to come back on. Must. Know. What. Happens.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I hear this is good and I always like to read books before seeing their movies.

A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway - Paris in the 20's, how is it I haven't read this already?

I am, of course, always looking for good recommendations.

paper and print

(photo by Momota.M)

Since ringing in the New Year I've basically been lazing around on the couch, watching far too much TV and battling a cold. It's hardly how I envisioned beginning 2011, but at least it's given me plenty of time to think about my resolutions and goals for the year. Towards the top of my list is what I consider to be a fun one; read 100 books.

There was a time when this goal would have been easy for me. I'm a fast reader, and for many years I didn't go anywhere without a book in hand. I have a deep love for fantasy, and I tore through our library's YA section at an amazing rate. But these past few years have been busy and it's taken a toll on my book count. Seeing as, for the most part, my time has been taken up by things that are new and exciting I can hardly complain. But still, there's a big part of me that misses how much time I spent being completely lost in a good book. So this year I'm going to make more time for the written word.

And I must say I'm off to a great start, with a book that combines my love of food with my fondness of France, and a series that kept me up until 3 am.

The first book is Julia Child's My Life in France. Perhaps I shouldn't count this one yet since I haven't actually finished it, but I'm enjoying it immensely so far. Her descriptions of food are so loving that I find myself drooling over dishes I'd never actually be tempted to try if they were set before me. I remember watching reruns of her cooking shows when I was little, but I never knew much about her life. It's wonderful to read this book and learn what an adventurous, passionate and funny women was behind all those recipes.

I've been hearing the buzz about The Hunger Games for months, but still didn't know very much about the plot when I started reading the first book. So I really had no idea what I was getting myself into! This trilogy is one of the best things I've read recently and officially made it onto my favorites shelf the moment I was finished. They are intense, brutal, believable and completely addicting. When I love something very much I tend to lose my abilities of description in favor of hand gestures and words like "Gah!" Not that that's actually a word, but you get my point. For a good plot description don't listen to me, instead go here. I will say that Katniss is a believable and brilliantly flawed protagonist who's view of the world around her ensnares you completely from start to finish. And it doesn't end there, the characters around her are just as fleshed out and interesting as she is. If I sound like I'm gushing, well, it's probably because I am. I may spend a lot of time around here posting polaroids and wish lists, but my true love is a good read. And these books were certainly that.

So, 4 down, 96 to go!