I Have Chosen...

Feedly!  I've been using Feedly for a week.  I like Feedly better than Google Reader, I think.  I like the options for display.  I can make it look a lot like Google Reader or I can give it an expanded look.  I like the interface.  I find it very user friendly.  I really like that I can see how long it has been since a blog has posted.  As I've been making the change from Feedly to Google Reader, I found some blogs that were on my list hadn't posted in over a year (or longer!).

I know there were some people who chose Bloglovin' as their Google Reader replacement, but it just wasn't right for me.  It's a good site; if you want to stick with something that feels a lot like Google Reader, then this is probably your best option.

I had been considering Pulse, but there were a lot of options missing.  There were no dates on the articles.  No "Mark as Read", or "Keep Unread" button.  Pulse is lovely to look at.  I really liked the display.  But there weren't really any customizing options.  I like making things feel like mine and Pulse just felt like Pulse. I actually sent suggestions to Pulse and after looking at their forum, it looks like many other users did the same.  They were very nice about deleting my account and user data, so I have to say, their customer service is fantastic.

I don't think I'll be switching from Feedly anytime soon.  I enjoy their tablet and phone apps.  They're very easy to use and also easy on the eyes.

What Reader do you use? 

Touch

Has anyone seen Touch?  It's a television series starring Kiefer Sutherland as the father of an autistic, but extremely gifted boy.  I have to say that I'm loving this show.  Hubby and I have been watching the show since February.  It sadly has short seasons of 13 episodes, but there is a lot put into those episodes   I think there are three left so we can see what else will happen to Martin and his son Jake (hopefully something good).

We have been watching this show, thinking it's awesome, an interesting blend of science and spirituality, and we didn't realize that this is actually the second season.  So much was happening, Martin found Lucy, decided to help her finder her daughter, it was so easy to be drawn in, that we didn't realize were were missing something.  I was on Netflix one day and I saw Touch.  What?  How are the episodes already on Netflix?   I had a quick look and who did I see?  Danny Glover!  Then I did a little Wikipedia search and I found that Danny Glover was on season one.  Where was I when season one was on?  I'm going to blame babies for that one; I wasn't watching a lot of television while my son was an infant.  I was more interested in sleeping.

I plan on watching the first season.  Apparently, Martin and Jake started in New York.  I'd like to know what brought them to Los Angeles.  Touch is an interesting, unpredictable show, I can't wait to see what happens next... and what happened before.

Who Do I Choose?

I'm still trying to decide about what to use to replace Google Reader.  Right now, I keep going back and forth between Feedly and Pulse.  I've eliminated Bloglovin' from the contest.  It looks a lot like Google Reader, but I was thinking, if it's time for a change, why stay the same?  Though, I've seen a few of the blogs I follow decide on Bloglovin'...  Both Feedly and Pulse have mobile apps...  I suppose I could just try each out and then decide after a couple days of playing with it.  What do you think? Feedly or Pulse?

Solid Objects, by Virginia Woolf

 Spoilers... But it's hard to talk about Solid Objects without spoilers.  It's a very short, short story. 

A piece of green glass made John go crazy! He gave up everything. To collect rubbish. I actually barely noticed the Stream of Consciousness style, because everything following John, moved so fluidly. Solid Objects might be my new favourite of Virginia Woolf's short stories (sorry A Hauted House). I went in expecting at least some extra concentration needed, that I often find with Woolf's work. I didn't get any of that.

The plot was clear and engaging. The characters were interesting. I wonder, perhaps, if this isn't some kind of commentary on British society at the time... On politics or politicians? Maybe it was about the power of change. One tiny, insignificant object, garbage, really can change a person's entire life. There are levels to Solid Objects, while also being one of the most accessible of Woolf's stories. I've always thought that starting with Flush, Woolf's short novel, was a good place to begin when venturing into her work, but Solid Objects might have just changed my mind.

Short Story Monday is hosted by The Book Mine Set.

Title 4/60 for The Classics Club.

Sever

This is all going to be a bit spoilery, but I'll try to keep it vague.

Sever is Lauren DeStefano's final installment of the Chemical Garden Trilogy. I have been wanting to know what will happen to Rhine for what feels like ages. I definitely expected what happened to Vaughn, thought didn't expect how it happened. I pretty much figured out what the "Chemical Garden" was after I read Fever. I can't believe what happened to Linden. What happened to Gabriel was a big surprise.  I expected Rhine to spend half the book looking for him and the other half looking for her brother.  I have to say, I did not at all expect the twist with Rowan and Vaughn.  Everything was Vaughn!  Ahh!

I really enjoyed how the characters grew over the three books.  Rhine matured, wanting more than just to find her brother, but that remained her main motivation.  Linden learned so much. Gabriel did too.  Cecily was wonderful.  We really get a feeling of closure by the end, we know what happens to all the crazy people we encounter.  I also really liked that the "love triangle" wasn't really a triangle.. it was more like a hexagon!  I did like that it was never about Linden versus Gabriel.  I also liked that each had their own time to really get to know Rhine and Rhine to know them.  It was a wonderfully satisfying conclusion.  I'm looking forward to more work by Lauren DeStefano, now that The Chemical Garden has been harvested.

The Deception Of Livvy Higgs

The Deception of Livvy Higgs was simply fantastic.  It might be the best book I've read so far this year*.  Donna Morrissey's prose was haunting and lyrical.  I didn't know that a story about an old lady could have me so captivated.  I was lucky to win it from Penguin Canada.  The characters are what really make this story, but if you're interested in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia during World War II, this is a great book to read.  I really enjoyed the "franglais" of the Newfoundlanders.  I wonder, is this what happens when someone is fully bilingual?  Is this common of people on the East Coast?  Was Halifax really like that when the war ended?  The novel, especially the end, had me wondering about Canadian history.

I might have been a little in love with Henri.  He's such a rogue, but he's honest and he loves Livvy.  I also enjoyed the contrast of the present (2009) with the story set in the past.  Gen's problems seem real and modern, as if this single mother could possibly be in your social work classes.  I love how she defends her brother from an old lady's preconceptions.  It seems that Livvy had been so angry for so long, finally at the end, I think she is letting it go.

Minor Spoilers

There are a lot of "deceptions" in this story.  There are Livvy's father's and mother's, her grandmothers' lies upon lies, her beloved Missus Louis, even Henri.  Eventually she learns all their truths.  She was hardened as a child, by the death of her mother and by her father's perceptions of her.  I think in the beginning, Durwin Higgs wanted his daughter to love him, but he was too prejudiced against the people and things she cared about.  To me, that's so sad, but what else could be expected from a man that married a woman for the most awful of reasons.  

With all the deceptions that surrounded her, what was Livvy's?  The way Grandmother Creed died?  She lived in her house, with all the people who knew her and her Grandmother thinking bad things.  The older residents passed the story down to the young ones.  I wonder why she stayed in Halifax.  Why not move to a town where no one knew who you were?  I understand not going back to Newfoundland.  Did she stay because of Henri's job?  There are other coastal towns and cities, couldn't they find a new one?  (Though I love that Livvy rocked babies, volunteering in the nursery.)  Though there we secrets, I think in the end, LIvvy had a good life.  In the end, this was an excellent book.

*It at least ties with Legend, though I loved both books for completely different reason.

You Must Read These!

I love this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and The Bookish.  I want to encourage reading and I'm always ready to recommend books.  I think my list is pretty diverse.  I try to recommend books based on the person because I like for everyone to have good reading experiences.  These are a selection of books that aren't just favourites, but one's I think other people will like.  In no particular order the Top Ten  Books I Recommend The Most:

1. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood - One of the best books ever.  It's so eerily possible.
2. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini - Another best book ever.  Good if you are interesting in the problems in the Middle-East from the perspective of someone who lived there.  Also good if you're interested in women's rights (and who isn't?).
3. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins - I've described this book as Extreme Survivor.  That still holds true.
4. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King - King's epic.  It's also good for those who don't necessarily like horror, because this lends itself towards fantasy.
5. 1984, by George Orwell - You want to know where "Big Brother" comes from?  Here it is.  It is so scary.
6. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells - Classic Science-Fiction: Wells' commentary on the British class structure, with our cannibalistic descendants.  I plan or re-reading this one soon.
7. The Shopaholic Series, by Sophie Kinsella - So fun!  Good for the beach, to relax, to forget about the world.
8. Flush, by Virginia Woolf - It is short and clever.  It's a great way to test out Woolf if you're not sure about diving in, probably the least like her other books.
9. Kindred, by Octavia Butler - It's been over a decade since I read it, but the story has stayed with me and I don't think it will ever leave.  To me, that's pretty powerful writing.
10. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley - Easily my favourite of the classic horrors.

So, read these books.  I highly recommend them.  What do you think I should read?  Recommendations?

Did I Forget To Read You?

I put a similar list together for The Broke and The Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday a while ago.  So I'm going to only list books that weren't on my first list.  It sounds like it will be difficult, but it actually won't be.  In no particular order, the Top Ten books I HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread:

1. Brown Girl In The Ring, by Nalo Hopkinson - When I first saw this book, I knew I had to read it, but it sits untouched on my shelf.
2. The Wolves Of Mercy Falls, by Maggie Steifvater - I saw the box set at a discounted price and I'd heard such great things about the author and the series, but it's still sealed in shrink wrap.
3. Carrie, by Stephen King - I saw the new paperbacks looking pretty on display and there was Carrie.  I've read a fair amount of King's work, but not his first novel.  Why is it still waiting for me to read it?
3. His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman - I saw the paperback box set on sale (of course).  The price was right and I really want to read the books, but they just sit on my shelf.
4. Twenties Girl, by Sophie Kinsella - I love Kinsella's books, I've read a lot of them, so of course I picked this one up too... and then didn't read it.
5. The View From Castle Rock, by Alice Munro - I picked this up at a charity book sale after reading so many wonderful stories by Munro.
6. What the Dickens: The Story Of A Rogue Tooth Fairy, by Gregory Maguire - I enjoyed Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister and Wicked, I couldn't resist adding to my Maguire books when I saw this one on sale.
7.  The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson - I heard brilliant things about The Gargoyle.  Readers I respect immensely recommend this book, so I picked it up... and put it on the shelf.
8. Girl In Translation, by Jean Kwok - It sounded so much like I book I would enjoy.  I picked it up at the same charity book sale that I bought The View From Castle Rock.
9. Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger - The Time Traveler's Wife was great and I wanted to read Niffenegger's follow up and I still want to read it.
10. Girls of Riyadh, by Rajaa Alsanea - I just had to have it.  I wanted to read it so much.  I'm going to read it.  Soon (ish).  Bah!

Has anyone realized I'm a sucker for books with reduced prices?  I'm saving money by buying it, right?  Not really.

What books did you have to have and then didn't read?  Which one of these should I make a priority?

Legend

I think I could have easily read Marie Lu's Legend in one sitting if I had more time. (This post is gong to be mostly a smattering of thoughts...) Legend was intense. The character development was great, it's always something I look for; I loved how June and Day learn and grow. They are wonderfully created individuals and an excellent pair of lead characters. I enjoyed the alternating between their points of view. I thought the font change was a good idea, but I don't know why the font colour needed to change too. I thought that was weird, but it didn't do anything to alter my utter enjoyment of the novel. I thought the militaristic angle was interesting and one I hadn't read before. The world building was woven so easily into the story, you understood every step June and Day were taking and why. The story has left me wondering about the Republic's secrets and what happened to the world. The Republic was vivid and frighteningly real. Marie Lu wrote a fantastically entertaining and engaging novel. I'm excited to read Prodigy.  It was just the kind of book I needed right now.

Goodbye Google Reader

I'm sure most people have heard by now that Google Reader will be no more come July 1, 2013.  I'm not sure what I'll do yet.  I like getting feeds in Google Reader.  It's so easy to use.  I've been using it for years.  YEARS!

Going through my Google Reader this morning, as I do most mornings, I found that Kelly from Radiant Shadows has already done some research about what she'd like to use to replace Google Reader: 

http://radiantshadows.ca/2013/03/when-your-reader-goes-into-retirement.html

I also found a similar post from Parajunkee:

http://parajunkee.com/2013/03/alternatives-to-google-reader.html

Thanks bloggers for doing all that research for me :P

Seriously, they list a number of alternatives I plan on exploring.  I'll see which one fits me best.  Even if I have to import each blog/website individually.  That will give me an opportunity to go through my lengthy Google Reader reading list and maybe I'll cull the blogs I don't actually read or haven't updated in months/years and maybe I haven't noticed because of the number of sites in my Reader.  This could be a good thing...  I'm still a little sad though.  At least there are alternatives out there.

The Way Station

The Battle of Tull left me really wanting to read the next Dark Tower graphic novel installment, The Gunslinger - The Way Station. What struck me first about this volume was the art.  The drawings of the demon in the circle of stones were amazing. The use of light and colour were different from the rest of the graphic novel and most of the series.  The series tends toward being dark, which is appropriate to where the characters are going and what has happened.  There tends to be a lot of dark reds and oranges.  The cover of The Way Station is very blue, which I really liked.

Also, I was excited to finally see Jake.  Jake plays such an important role in Roland's story.  It's so interesting to see a boy from 1977 New York interacting with Gilead's last gunslinger.  The readers understand his references, but Roland tells Jake that he speaks strangely.  Jake is one of my favourite characters in the novels and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.

Flowers and Birds! (Top Ten Books for Spring 2013)

The sun is brighter, the days are warmer and growing long. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming.  What are you reading?  This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and The Bookish is: what books are on your spring to-be-read list.  In no particular order:

1. The Wind Through The Keyhole, by Stephen King

2. A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness

3. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Deborah Morrissey

4. Prodigy, by Marie Lu

5. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

6. Sever, by Lauren DeStefano

7. The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore

8. Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood

9. The Raven Boys, by Maggie Steifvater

10. Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes.

This seems like a pretty good order in which to read these books this spring.  Though I might switch 1, 2, 3, and 4 depending on how I feel after my current read... Or maybe I'll read 6 next.  Who knows?!  If I buy another book (highly probable), it could change everything.

What are you going to be reading this spring?

Kew Gardens, by Virginia Woolf

Kew Gardens was originally published with illustrations by Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf's sister.  I'd love to read that edition (or a reproduction, something that doesn't cost a hundred dollars).  I imagine it would add another layer to this interesting slice-of-life story.  Kew Gardens is very fluid, but I suppose that is just part of the Stream of Consciousness style.  I think you have to be in the mood to read Stream of Consciousness/Virginia Woolf.  She is not a writer you can casually pick up, I think.  Her work requires a certain amount of focus.

Kew Gardens feels like an escape from the city.  Four different sets of people move in and out of the narration as they pass an oval flower bed in Kew Gardens.  It's an observational story.  The reader gets to watch these people (and the snail) and hear little snippets of their conversations.  I enjoyed it and it's left me wanting to read more Woolf.  Maybe next week I'll take on Solid Objects.  If you want to sample Woolf, get a taste of her style, Kew Gardens is a great place to start.  It's a wonderful and very short story.  However, if you can't handle the style of Kew Gardens, I'd steer clear of To The Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway.  For me, Kew Gardens was a reminder of how much I enjoy Woolf.

Short Story Monday is hosted by John Mutford at the Book Mine Set.

Classics Club title 3/60. 

Undead Reckoning

I really wanted to love Undead Reckoning.  The cover attracted me (designed by the author's wife.)  The synopsis sounded really interesting.  I've been getting more and more interested in Zombie books in the last few years.  I also like supporting local talent and independent/self-published authors.  I entered the Goodreads giveaway and lost.  Then the author, Mike Slabon, contacted me and wanted to send me a copy (for an honest review).  I was excited.  Of course I said, yes.  So, I really wanted to love Undead Reckoning.

What was the point of meeting up with the different groups of characters during the beginning quarter/third of the book?  The spider guy was disturbing and unnecessary. What was the point of the teenagers? Just to make Eddie mad?  Eddie Griffin, the main character, had enough childhood trauma to show character growth and development.  I couldn't see a reason to introduce characters just to have them die twenty pages later.  It also took me a long time to care about Eddie and you need to care about what happens to the main characters of a story pretty much immediately, in my opinion.  I still don't know if I care about Jim Shrike (Eddie's companion through most of the book).  I don't know if I like him, either, though I don't think it's required to "like" the main characters.  Eventually, I did want to know what happened to them, but I think all those additional characters coming and going were delaying the connection.  There were so many extraneous sub-plots and characters, I think they took the focus off Eddie Griffin and Jim Shrike's journey.

I'm also afraid I have an issue with the women are portrayed in the story.  They're all hot; athletic, big boobs and irresistibly attractive.  They are either overly sexual/sexualized or they're a victim.  In the first quarter of the book, the Afro-Saxon that Eddie meets says something like, "Even our women are to be feared." Was that just thrown that in to appease the women readers of his book?  I know that Major McAllister, Jim's "love-interest" is a strong military officer and supposedly has the respect of the men under her command, but why aren't there any woman under her command?  Also, how many military women would run up to a man they're happy to see and throw their arms around them?  It seemed unrealistic.  People in the military learn discipline, right?  They have self-control.  I can't imagine a woman (or man for that matter), who has to maintain the respect of all the other people at their base, run up to someone they were involved with and have no inhibitions.

I may have listed a few dislikes, but I did not hate this book.  The flow was good.  It didn't stall and their was always something happenening, even if it was riduculous.  (Seriously, a giant ass?  Was that just so the author could say "ass" and "shit" repeatedly for fifty pages?) The fight scenes were well written.  You could definitely picture the blood and guts flying, the swords, missiles, hammers and guns.  I think the fight scenes were the highlight of the novel for me.  There were a lot of them, so it kept me reading.  I think there was a lot of potential; the plot was unique and diverse.  The characters had interesting qualities, but most lacked depth.  I really wanted to love Undead Reckoning, instead I think it was just okay.

Do I Have a Problem?: First Books

Making the list for yesterday's Top Ten Tuesday brought something to my attention.  I own the beginnings to A LOT of series.  This doesn't count series I've already started (as of Tuesday, March 5th, 2013) for some of these series, started and unstarted, I own multiple books.  Am I ever going to catch up?

Here is my list from yesterday's Top Ten Tuesday.

1. The Raven Cycle (Book 1: The Raven Boys), by Maggie Stiefvater
2. Falling Kingdoms (Book 1: Falling Kingdoms), by Morgan Rhodes
3. All The Wrong Questions (Book 1: Who Could It Be At This Hour), Lemony Snicket
4. His Dark Materials (Book 1: The Golden Compass), by Philip Pullman
5. Forever Girl (Book 1: The Forever Girl), by Rebecca Hamilton
6. The Strain Trilogy (Book 1: The Strain), by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
7. Cadence Jones (Book 1: Me, Myself & Why?), by MaryJanice Davidson
8. Legend (Book 1: Legend), by Marie Lu
9. Fallen (Book 1: Fallen), by Lauren Kate
10. The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Book 1: Shiver), by Maggie Stiefvater

Here are the books/series I didn't put on the list.

11. Infernal Devices (Book 1: Clockwork Angel), by Cassandra Clare
12. Delirium (Book 1: Delirium), by Lauren Oliver
13. Eve (Book 1: Eve), by Anna Carey
14. Sword of Truth (Book 1: Wizard's First Rule), by Terry Goodkind **
15. Abandon Trilogy (Book 1: Abandon), Meg Cabot
16. All Souls Trilogy (Book 1: A Discovery of Witches), by Deborah Harkness
17. A Love Story (Book 1: Bloodsucking Fiends), by Christopher Moore *
18. The DemonWars Saga (Book 1: The Demon Awakens), by R.A. Salvatore **
19. The Frey Saga (Book 1: Frey), Melissa Wright
20. Darkness Falls (Book 1: Darkness Falls), by Jessica Sorensen
21. Fallen Star (Book 1: The Fallen Star), by Jessica Sorensen

21!  How do I have books belonging to 21 different series that I haven't even started yet.  I'm already reading books in other series that I haven't finished yet.  Though, part of this is because I'm waiting for the next book to come out or I'm budgeting and waiting for a sale to buy the next books.  Seriously, I need to consider not buying the first book in a series, only to have it sitting on my shelves for years (YEARS!).  Any advice on where to start with this list?

*Christopher Moore's series is the only one where I own books 2 and 3, but not book 1.  How did that happen?  I wanted to read Moore, because there are bloggers and people I know in real life who love his work.  I saw You Suck (book 2), liked the title and synopsis, plus it was a hardcover on sale for $5.99, I think (I remember it being really cheap), so I bought it.  After I did some more research, I found out it was book 2.  Ugh.  This past summer, I was in a used bookstore and saw Bite Me (book 3).  Since I already had book 2and the price was right, I bought it.
**The Terry Goodkind and R.A. Salvatore books are technically my husbands, but there's still there, sitting on the shelf, with all the other books I want to read, but I could have left them out if I wanted to seem less crazy.

Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet

When I read the topic from The Broke and The Bookish for this week's Top Ten Tuesday, I knew I'd have a few Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet, but I really didn't think I'd actually make it to ten!  My first list went beyond ten.  I actually had to narrow it down.  The crazy part is that these are all books that are not only the beginning of a series, but I also own! For whatever reason haven't read them yet.  Here are my top ten in no particular order:

1. The Raven Cycle (Book 1: The Raven Boys), by Maggie Stiefvater
2. Falling Kingdoms (Book 1: Falling Kingdoms), by Morgan Rhodes
3. All The Wrong Questions (Book 1: Who Could It Be At This Hour), Lemony Snicket
4. His Dark Materials (Book 1: The Golden Compass), by Philip Pullman
5. Forever Girl (Book 1: The Forever Girl), by Rebecca Hamilton
6. The Strain Trilogy (Book 1: The Strain), by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
7. Cadence Jones (Book 1: Me, Myself & Why?), by MaryJanice Davidson
8. Legend (Book 1: Legend), by Marie Lu
9. Fallen (Book 1: Fallen), by Lauren Kate
10. The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Book 1: Shiver), by Maggie Stiefvater

What??? How did this happen?  I can't believe I own all these books, beginnings of series and I haven't read them.  This doesn't even count the series I want to start, but don't own yet.  I might have a problem...

What series would you like to start but haven't yet?

*Addition:  Top Ten Tuesday has been nominated for best meme.  Click here if you're interested in voting for The Broke and The Bookish (and check out the other nominees).

Words!

I know it's been a while, but I have words that I want to share!

Stately Argosy

*I started Word(s) of the Week ages ago so that I could share all the new, brilliant, crazy words I kept coming across in my readings of fiction, articles, blogs, etc.*

From Sonnets From The Portuguese, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

Sonnet II:

Amerce: To impose a fine on.

Oxford * Wikitionary

Sonnet III:

Athwart: From side to side; Across the path (of something); In opposition of.

Oxford * Wikitionary

An Argosy

Sonnet XIX:

Argosies: Plural of argosy

Argosy: A large merchant ship.

Oxford * Wikitionary

Sonnet XIX:

Purpureal: Of a purple colour.

Wikitionary

Via Wikimedia Commons

Sonnet XXVII:

Asphodel: Eurasian plant of the lily family, typically having long slender leaves and flowers borne on a spike.

Oxford * Wikitionary

Sonnet XLIV:

Eglantine: A Eurasian rose, Rosa eglanteria, having prickly stems, fragrant leaves, pink flowers and red hips. Another word for Sweet Briar.

Oxford * Wikitionary

via Wikimedia Commons

From Undead Reckoning, by Mike Slabon

(pg 337) Wattle and Daub: "Wattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw."

Wikipedia

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Battle Of Tull

The Battle of Tull was just what I needed. I've been feeling a bit discouraged or maybe frustrated in my reading choices of late, for various reasons. I needed something that I was confident that I would enjoy.  Of course, that would be the next Dark Tower graphic novel.  With The Battle of Tull , the graphic novels have brought us full circle in Stephen King's series. The graphic novel stayed mostly true to the novel, The Gunslinger. Robin Furth, the adapter, took some artistic liberties.  There's a flashback moment for Roland, where he remembers his lost love, a lost love I'm pretty sure Stephen King didn't invent until book four.  I thought the addition was nice though, it connected the graphic novels as a series on its own and to the novels that came before. Though, I've been doing some reading and maybe what I think are "artistic liberties" are actually the changes King made to The Gunslinger in the Revised Edition. I read the original novel written by King in 1982. In 2003 King published a new edition changing a few things. I knew this, but I don't know what he changed exactly. Maybe I should read the new version of the novel?  The Battle of Tull was a great addition to the series and it's made me excited to read the next in the series, The Way Station.

I Want ALL Your Books: The Authors On My Auto Buy List

The topic from The Broke and The Bookish: "Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List (basically an auto-buy list is no questions asked..you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote next you'd buy regardless of genre or subject matter) "

I'm not sure I have ten authors on my Auto-Buy list.  I also don't tend to buy a lot of new releases.  I already own so many books.... I often wait for sales/specials so as to slow the hoarding...  There are also some authors I love that have large back catalogues.  So I aim to eventually buy all their books, but that takes time and money.  

In no particular order, here is my Auto-Buy List.

1. Stephen King (So many books!)

2. Margaret Atwood (See above!)
3. Michael Ondaatje (I haven't read his newest novel yet.)

4. Alice Munro (Working through her many books.)

5. Lauren DeStefano (Probably the newest addition.)

6. Sophie Kinsella (But not Madeline Wickham?  I haven't actually read anything under Wickham, only Kinsella....)

7. J.K. Rowling (I liked The Causal Vacancy)

8 Veronica Roth might make it on to this list.

I couldn't make it to ten.  Maybe I'm too discriminating... maybe I'm too poor.

Who is on your Auto-Buy List?

Harry Potter: The Prequel

I had heard years ago (probably over four) that J.K. Rowling had written a short  Harry Potter prequel story.  At about 800 words, it is very short.  Why did it take me so many years to read it?  I'm not sure.  I knew it was there, and I wanted to read it, it just never happened.  I'm sorry I waited so long, yet I'm also not sorry.  I love the Harry Potter series.  I was sad when it came to its inevitable end.  It has been several years since I read the final book, The Deathly Hallows.  Reading The Prequel was like indulging in a bit of nostalgia.  I really enjoyed a peak at what James and Sirius were like when they were young.  It made me smile.  It made me wish there was more.  I know that Rowling will likely not write about Harry Potter and the wizarding world again, but she hasn't said never.  Who knows how she'll feel in ten or twenty years.  The Prequel has made me want to read the books again, possibly along with Pottermore.  800 words certainly made me think about a lot of things....

Short Story Monday is presented by John Mutford at The Book Mine Set.

Sonnets From The Portuguese

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets From The Portuguese might be her most famous work.  It contained the poem of hers I was most familiar with, Sonnet 43:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height 

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight 

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. 

I love thee to the level of everyday's 

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. 

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; 

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. 

I love thee with the passion put to use 

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. 

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose 

With my lost saints!---I love thee with the breath, 

Smiles, tears, of all my life!---and, if God choose, 

I shall but love thee better after death.

I can see why it's her most famous.  The collection is brilliant, but Sonnet 43 stands out among them.  She initially didn't want to publish this collection.  Her husband, Robert Browning (who the poems are about) encouraged her to do so.  He apparently said they were the best sonnets since Shakespeare.  Since my hubby thought I was reading Shakespearean sonnets, maybe he was right.

Another favourite for me was Sonnet 14:

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

Except for love’s sake only. Do not say

“I love her for her smile—her look—her way

Of speaking gently,—for a trick of thought

That falls in well with mine, and certes brought

A sense of pleasant ease on such a day”—

For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may

Be changed, or change for thee,—and love, so wrought,

May be unwrought so. Neither love me for

Thine own dear pity’s wiping my cheeks dry,—

A creature might forget to weep, who bore

Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!

But love me for love’s sake, that evermore

Thou may’st love on, through love’s eternity.

I think her take on love is pretty modern and refreshing. I didn't know about the darker quality of Browning's "love" poems until I read the first one.  It certainly grabs you, as love gets a "death grip" on you.  I loved the unexpected end of the first Sonnet.  I looked up some information about it online (without spoiling anything for myself.)  Sonnet XVIII has a morbid way of bestowing a token of love (giving a lock of hair that was the last place your mother kissed you before she died.)  I found Sonnet XXXII relateable because it talked about insecurity in a relationship; something everyone feels at one time or another, I believe.  I'm not sure I like the final Sonnet in the collection.  It's not as passionate as some of the others. Maybe because it comes after How do I love thee; that's a tough comparison.

I'm really glad I downloaded an ebook with no introduction.  I haven't been liking introductions lately.  I find that too often, they either give away part of the plot/spoil the ending or they tell you how you're supposed to react to whatever it is you are about to read.

I have to admit, though, I'm not as much a fan of Browning's self-deprecating poems, which are most of the first quarter of the sonnets.  There's a lot of "I'm not worthy of this man".  I suppose I can relate to the feeling of "I can't believe I'm so lucky" as I am married to an amazing man.  I guess, I like the love has gripped me idea more.  (Not that the poems aren't lovely.)

I haven't read a lot of poetry since I left University.  I took classes on poetry, changing how I looked at poems.  I can be overly analytical.  The last couple years, however, I've been allowing myself to enjoy poetry without having to dissect every single syllable.  I thoroughly enjoyed Sonnets From The Portuguese.  I look forward to reading more by Browning and more poetry.

This counts as #2 for the Classics Challenge!  Yay!

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Little Sisters of Eluria

(I just realized I never posted this!  Bah!)

More Stephen King!  After reading the awesome short story collection Everything's Eventual I had to read a Dark Tower graphic novel, especially since the next one in my queue was an adaptation of one of the short stories I just read.  The Little Sisters of Eluria is creepy.  Naturally, the Little Sisters are not so little.  They're women; who knows how old they are.  Roland, the last gunslinger, encounters them in his travels, after The Battle of Jericho Hill in his pursuit of the man in black.  At the beginning of the story, Roland's horse is dying.  He's hoping to find a town soon.  He comes over a ridge and there lies Eluria.  He thinks it might just save his horse.  The visit is to Eluria is not what he wanted it to be.

The graphic adaptation of the short story/novella was fantastic.  I enjoyed the story and art immensely.  They altered the story a bit, creative liberties I think, to create a better graphic flow. There's an introduction with an apology for changing the story. I haven't been a huge fan of introductions lately.  I didn't need the introduction to tell me that they changed the story slightly.  It's an "adaptation", I pretty much expect some alteration.  There are reasons why certain books need to have introductions; I suppose I'm just tired of the story being explained to me before I read it....

Back to Eluria.  I love Jenna.  She has an innocence about her, though she is more like the other Sisters than Roland likes to think.  She wants to be free.  I really liked Jenna's story.  I wish we could know more about her background.  Who knows with King though?  She might show up somewhere else one day.

Earl Grey

Picture by me!

Yup.  Today, I'm going to write about tea.  I love tea.

The tea shop I used to buy most of my tea from was bought out by a larger chain.  I was very sad.  I had been going there for a few years.  Now, it has left me trying to figure out where to buy the teas I enjoy.  This new chain, while also selling loose leaf tea, does not sell the same tea selection of the previous store, so I've lost a couple favourites.

The first tea I had to get was Earl Grey.  I was hesitant to buy the Earl Grey at the new store because their small size was huge compared to the old store and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money.  Mistake.  Bagged Earl Grey doesn't cut it any more (unless it's the kind you get at Starbucks).  So I sucked it up and bought around 225 grams/ .5 pounds, which trust me, is a lot.  But it's so yummy.... However, to save a little money, I saw another loose leaf Earl Grey that was specially selected from blah, blah, blah...  It is about the same price and it comes in a smaller quantity, so I thought I'd get it.  It is not good enough.  It has a bitter taste to it.  If I accidentally steep it too long, I HAVE to add milk and sugar otherwise I can't drink it.

So, in the end, I'm buying Earl Grey from Teavana.  It's so good.  

*I almost wrote, "Earl Grey, hot." as the title to this post because I love Captain Picard.  He's probably the main reason I tried Earl Grey Tea in the first place.

** June 17, 2018

So, Teavana, as many people know, has gone out of business. So, I'm buying Earl Grey from David's Tea now. Good. Yummy. I've made and Iced London Fog with it too!