Hypnotized

Hypnotized

Nightstand January 17, 2007

I feel like I’ve been in a trance all day. You see, I just couldn’t stick with my current reads any longer, and I had to start Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Thank goodness for the ice/snow day we had today because I got to stay home and read.

And, what a great read this book has been so far. It’s so addictive. The only thing that would have made this better was if I would have been brave enough to go out to the coffee shop to get a big, yummy hazelnut latte. Anyway, I know there are a lot of you out there who’ve already read this so thank you for the recommendation!

Sorry to make this so short but I have to get back to it now. I must finish it tonight. I need to know how it ends.

...Read More
21 Comments
Losing My Glamour

Losing My Glamour

Nightstand January 16, 2007

A few days ago I was complaining about not receiving my Bookmarks magazine but it turns out I forgot to renew my subscription. Well today I get a notice from Glamour magazine and “I’m about to Lose My Glamour” if I don’t renew!! Quick, call the fashion police.

I guess they are too late because they haven’t seen me after a serious crafty and/or bookbinding session. Heh. Actually, I have enjoyed Glamour magazine on and off over the years. What can I say, I do like cute dresses and heels.

But, it’s time to reconsider subscriptions. We get a lot of magazines at home and they are cutting into book reading time. What’s worse is that sometimes they’ll stay unread for months. So this means I really need to think about the magazines I read and not just sign up for them because they are offering a special $1 an issue with a 12-month subscription. I know that’s how I fell for several subscriptions. So Glamour and I are parting ways.

Have you recently let go of any magazine subscriptions?

...Read More
24 Comments
The Pay Off

The Pay Off

Nightstand January 15, 2007

I finally finished The Far Cry by Emma Smith even though I was tempted to give up on it at first, but I kept at it in part because it was one of my From The Stacks challenge books. I didn’t want to put it back on the stacks.

Another reason I was so adamant about reading it was because I had bought it at the Persephone Bookshop when I went to England to visit my best friend, Christine, several years ago. We had such a great time at Persephone Books and I guess in some way I had been saving the books I bought thinking that when I read them they’d take me back to another time, somehow capturing the magic of a fun vacation. Certainly the book wouldn’t be a disappointment right? Talk about piling up a lot of expectations on a book!

The Far Cry is the story of 12-year-old Teresa who is being whisked off to India by her father. Mr. Digby hopes to keep Teresa away from her mother by finding refuge with his oldest daughter who lives on a tea farm in India. Teresa doesn’t want to go, Ruth doesn’t want her father and sister there, and all too soon the cracks in everyone’s relationships start to widen and pull each one into separate directions.

My problem at first was that I didn’t care for any of the characters, but slowly Teresa started to win me over. Unlike the other characters, Teresa doesn’t complain about the new country. Instead she is awed by it. It’s quite a treat to see her discovering a country filled with possibilities rather than to focus on the negatives.

The pipes followed, playing madly. India, thought Teresa, this is India! This upside-down inside-out lunatic night is India! Anything may happen, at any moment. I want it, I’m ready: let anything happen.

Wow, can’t you just feel the excitement? As Teresa starts to revel in the experiences of being in another country I couldn’t help but feel a connection to her. I guess her awakening to a new life resonated so much with me because I love to travel and have sometimes found myself in a new city thinking I belong here.

In the end the book totally won me over. Thank you Persephone Books for bringing back forgotten classics.

...Read More
13 Comments