Bella's Bookshelf

Well, I was right!

2011-01-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

I finished Of Mice and Men last night... sobbing! I wonder if anyone has ever shorted out their Kindle by crying on it? LOL

I'll start the discussions as soon as I have time to think for more than 4 minutes at a time1 :)

A slight problem...

2011-01-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

OK, first of all, I will admit that I purchased Of Mice and Men for the Kindle even though I own a paperback copy.

I'm hooked on my Kindle. ;)

Now the problem. I am, according to my Kindle, 53% of the way through Of Mice and Men. And I see bad things coming. And I can't bring myself to read on. Because there is bad stuff gonna happen. I just know there is. Bad. Bad. Bad.

And probably sad, too. Bad and Sad.

Who picked this book anyway?? LOL

Surprise! It's a Kindle!!

2011-01-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Though my mom likes to surprise me at Christmas time, I'm usually able to figure out what she has gotten me. But this year she completely caught me by surprise! For one thing, she had taken me and the girls to Disney World and Wizarding World of Harry Potter the week before Christmas. We all knew that was our Christmas. I knew that she would get presents for the girls because that's just how she works, but I didn't think I would get anything. I was totally OK with that, too, because I had just spent the most wonderful week at Disney (even though it was freezing cold LOL).

But she surprised me!! And my dad sort of worked it into an even cooler surprise. You see, Dad had decided to get Mom a Kindle for Christmas and he had it sent directly to our house. We wrapped it up and set it under the tree. On Christmas morning, the kids pass out the presents to everyone but we always save the adult presents until the kids are done. So Mom opened her Kindle and was very surprised, and then she and dad told me to open my present. And look what I found:
Actually, it was a naked Kindle! LOL My husband had conspired with my mom to give me gift cards to purchase a cover! He was going to try to choose one for me, but there were too many options and he knows I'm somewhat particular. In the end, it took me 4 days to choose "the right" cover! @@
I ended up with the M-Edge Executive cover and the E-Luminator light. It's an absolutely perfect combination for me!
I've been able to find 7 of the 10 books on this year's book club list absolutely free!! The ones that are not free are Of Mice and Men, The Color Purple, and Catcher in the Rye. I already own Of Mice and Men and The Catcher in the Rye in hard copy so I may not splurge for it in Kindle form, but I don't have The Color Purple yet so that will be purchased! (Edited to add: ACK! The Color Purple is not available in Kindle form! What's up with that?? LOL)

I'm already completely hooked on it! I love having all my books at my fingertips and portable and with a light to read in the evening when my husband is watching TV. I love having all the classics that are available for free, too. But so far, my absolute favorite perk of the Kindle is the portability! SOOOO many books at my fingertips! I love to have several books going at the same time, and now I can read any of them with the touch of my finger! :)

Who would have thought I would enjoy an ebook reader so much???

At Last!! It's the reading list!

2010-12-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Bella’s Bookshelf Reading List 2011

January – Of Mice and Men

February – The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

March – Pygmalion

April – The Scarlet Letter

May – Uncle Tom’s Cabin

June – The Color Purple

July – David Copperfield

August – David Copperfield

September – David Copperfield

October – Catcher in the Rye

November – Frankenstein

December – Huck Finn

I'll go back and add author's names and make it look much prettier later on when I have some more time! :) But here it is for anyone who is interested!

2011 Reading List Coming Soon

2010-11-17T06:06:00.001-08:00

Stay Tuned!

Gone With the Wind, Parts 1 and 2: A Summary

2010-07-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Scarlett O'Hara was sixteen years old when we meet her in the days immediately leading up to the American Civil War. She has all the attention from all of the boys and men around, but she only desires Ashley Wilkes, a childhood friend and neighbor. Upon learning that he is to marry his cousin, Melanie Hamilton, and go to the war, Scarlett agrees to marry Melanie's brother, Charles Hamilton, even though she does not love him. Charles dies of measles shortly after he leaves for the war, and Scarlett bears him a child, Wade, who she basically ignores and leaves to a slave, Prissy, to raise.

Scarlett, Wade, and Prissy all go to Atlanta to stay with Aunt Pittypat and Melanie Wilkes, Ashley's wife. The women are all in mourning, but do take turns nursing the wounded at the hospital. During a fundraiser for the hospital, Scarlett and Melanie are called upon to work a booth, even though it is deemed inappropriate because of their mourning status. Scarlett is thrilled because she is tired of being cooped up in the house, and pretending to mourn a dead husband she never cared about, while everyone else her age (now seventeen) is off at balls. At the fundraiser, Dr. Meade declares a bidding auction for the privilege of dancing with the ladies, and a blockade runner named Rhett Butler bids a large amount of gold for Scarlett. This is a true scandal because she is a new widow, but Scarlett agrees to do it. Rhett excites and infuriates her, as he was present in the room when Scarlett declared her love for Ashley before he left for the war, and Rhett teases Scarlett about that and her resulting temper.

As then next 2 years pass, the Confederacy takes a hard beating both on the fronts and at home. Supplies are hard to come by and food prices skyrocket. Rhett makes a fortune running the blockades, and by selling and buying from both the North and the South. His outspokenness about the eventual demise of the Confederacy gets him ostracized from polite Atlanta society, though Melanie insists he is a good man, and allows him to continue to visit them. He brings gifts and treats to Aunt Pitty, Melanie, and, of course, to Scarlett. Rhett and Scarlett are seen together and it is quite scandalous.

After two years, Ashley comes home on a furlough for Christmas. Scarlett connives to see him alone. He asks her to take care of Melanie for him, and she tells him again how much she loves him. With a sad look on his face, he tells her good-bye, without giving her the kiss she had asked him for. Scarlett is determined that he loves her. Three months later, she is shocked to find out that Melanie is expecting Ashley's child. She determines to leave Atlanta and return to Tara, but then Ashley is reported as missing. Rhett uses his connections in the North to find out that Ashley has been taken prisoner and is being held at the most horrible prison camp in the North, Rock Springs in Illinois.

The Old Man and the Sea: A Summary

2010-06-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

An old fisherman has not caught a fish in many days. He believes that the next day he goes out he will have luck and get a fish. He has a young boy who usually fishes with him, and who tries to take care of him in his poverty. But the young boy's father has instructed him to go fish on another fishing boat the next day, so the old man sets out alone.

He has decided to go far, far out to fish. And he does have the luck he counts on. He hooks a marlin! The marlin begins to pull the boat out and out and the old man just lets the line go out and he holds on. The boat is dragged for 2 whole days before the fish begins to tire. The old man has been cut by the line, and he is exhausted, but he gets the enormous fish to the surface and kills him. He attaches it to the side of the boat because it's too big.

On the way back to shore, sharks begin to attack the marlin and eat pieces of it, right off the side of the boat. The old man fights off the sharks the best he can, despite being exhausted. But in the end, the sharks eat all of the meat from the huge fish. The old man makes it into port with only the skeleton of the great fish still tied to the boat. He doesn't have the money from selling the fish but he has the honor of bringing in such a great fish!

Northanger Abbey: A Summary

2010-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Catherine Morland, a 17 year old girl from a large family, was a tomboy as a child, but had grown up to be a pretty young lady. She was invited to go to Bath with her neighbors. At first she doesn't like it because she doesn't know anyone. But soon she meets Isabella Thorpe and they become fast friends. She also meets Henry Tilney, an older man than she is. He has a clever wit and they enjoy conversation and dancing. Isabella's brother and Catherine's brother James arrive in Bath, and Isabella immediately attaches herself to James. Isabella's brother tries to woo Catherine, but she is turned off by his personality. She wants to get to know Henry better, and his sister Eleanor who is recently arrived in Bath. But her brother and the Thorpes conspire to keep her away from the Tilneys.

Isabella and James become engaged, and shortly afterward, Catherine is invited to the Tilney estate, Northanger Abbey. Since Catherine is fond of gothic novels, she imagines the Abbey to be a dark and mysterious place. Henry encourages this perception during the drive to the Abbey. There was a section of the Abbey not used, that used to belong to Mrs. Tilney before her death. Catherine snoops around, suspecting General Tilney of murdering his wife. Henry catches Catherine and is outraged when she relates her suspicions to him.

One day, the General returns suddenly and announces that they are leaving and Catherine must go home. She is very upset, and returns home alone. Soon after she is home, Henry arrives and surprises her by asking for her hand in marriage. He tells her that the General had been told by a jealous Mr. Thorpe that Catherine was very wealthy, and the General was attempting to arrange a marriage between her and Henry. When he ran into Mr. Thorpe again, the spurned young man tells the General that Catherine is, in fact, destitute - which is not true. That is why he kicked her out. Henry found this out and was furious with his father, who told him never to think of Catherine again.

Within a year, however, Eleanor had become married to a wealthy man, and the General relented in his opposition... aided by his learning that Catherine was not destitute at all. Henry and Catherine were married and lived happily ever after.

The Scarlet Pimpernel: A Summary

2010-04-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

During the French Revolution Reign of Terror, aristocrats are sent to the guillotine just due to their place in society. Some fortunate aristocrats are aided in escape by the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, who is presumed to be an Englishman, and who has eluded the best agents of France. Marguerite Blakeney is a French woman who is married to a rich and prominent Englishman, Sir Percy Blakeney. When Marguerite's brother Armand is proven to be part of the Society of the Scarlet Pimpernel, she is blackmailed by French agent Chauvelin to use her connections in British society to discover the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and assist in the capture of him and his men. In the process of trying to gather information for Chauvelin, Marguerite rediscovers the love she has for her husband and which he has for her, which she thought she had lost forever - just in time to realize that he is the Scarlet Pimpernel and the information she secured and gave to Chaulevin will result in his capture and death. With the assistance of a devoted member of the Order, Marguerite travels to France to warn her husband, or to die at his side if her efforts should fail. In France, she is captured by Chauvelin and his men as she follows the soldiers who are being led by an old Jew to the location of the Order's secret location. However, the old Jew is her the Scarlet Pimpernel, her husband, in disguise. In another amazing escape, the two of them elude capture, while still managing to free Marguerite's brother and an aristocrat who is set to go to the guillotine. The two are reunited, openly reaffirming their love for each other, and set sail to home.

My thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird

2009-10-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

I'm running the risk of sounding like a broken record, but I don't know how else to phrase this: how on earth did I miss all of these wonderful books when I was in school? I was in honors classes in high school. I have to admit to not liking those classes because I never understood the focus on "symbolism" and "what the author REALLY means". But what books did we actually read anyway? And why didn't we read some of these classics? Oh well, since I home educate my children I will make certain that they are exposed to these wonderful books! :)

I thoroughly enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird. The beginning was slow for me as I struggled to figure out what on earth was going on and who was narrating. It was funny as the picture in my mind (that's how books work for me - it's like a movie running in my head) started out so fuzzy and then it started to clear up as I was getting a grip on who the book included! The funniest part was when it dawned on me that Scout was, in fact, a girl! ;)

The language was hard to read, the "n" word especially. It may have been a bit easier if I had been able to picture more clearly the time period. It wasn't until the end of the book where it's made clear that this was 1935, though looking back I saw references to the depression. While I was reading, I wasn't sure if this was the 50s and it was just a poor area in the rural southern part of Alabama. But that's what makes books interesting, I guess, when the reader isn't given all of the information! That's something I'd like to try to do as I begin working on my next novel for NaNoWriMo in November!

I knew I was going to love this book when I hit chapter 2 and Scout went to school and the teacher told her to tell her father to stop teaching her how to read. And Jem explained that it was in "the colleges" (the flashing words on cards at them). And then Atticus making the deal with Scout to continue on in school and he would continue on reading to them at night, as long as she promised not to tell anyone about it! :)

The story overall took a much different direction than I was expecting, which is always exciting. I was certain that Boo Radley was going to come out and hurt one of the kids. Then when the trial took over, I sort of forgot about Boo Radley and was worried about all of the angry people in the town. I was really afraid Jem was going to be killed, or maybe Dill, since I figured Scout was safe as narrator. When the kids were coming home that night and they heard the noise, I was absolutely terrified and full of dread. And then Boo Radley saved them! Kind of proves my belief that you never know what's going on in other people's homes... things may seem to look bad on the outside, but you just never know.

Of course, after having finished the book, it makes the beginning of the first chapter finally make some sense! And I actually did get a little of the "symbolism" if you will about the title "To Kill a Mockingbird" when Atticus tells Jem it's a sin to kill a mockingbird with his air gun. And then "they" end up killing Tom Robinson, who was gentle and unable to really defend himself. I was pretty proud of myself for getting that! :)

Well, it's time to get supper on the table so I can head out to the IRL version of Bella's Bookshelf so we can discuss this wonderful book! Would love to read your thoughts, too!

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Summary

2009-10-07T08:41:00.001-07:00

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
published 1960

Scout and Jem Fitch live in Maycomb, Alabama in 1935. They are being raised by their father, Atticus, a lawyer, with the help of Calpurnia, an African-American lady. One summer, Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American man, against charges that he raped and beat Mayella Ewell, a young caucasian woman. The children find themselves dealing with the prejudiced attitudes of friends and family, but Atticus requires them to turn the other cheek. Despite the lack of anything but circumstantial evidence and the words of 3 caucasian witnesses, the jury finds Tom guilty and sentence him to death. That doesn't mean the end of the trouble for the Fitch family, as Mr. Ewell is determined to "get back" at Atticus. He nearly accomplishes his goal, but the children find assistance from a most unexpected source.

(OK, I've been working on this summary all morning and just cannot come close to expressing how wonderful this book is... I guess I'll have to save that for the "my thoughts" post.)

Please note: there is bad language and adult situations in this book. If you're younger than high school age, please check with your parents before reading To Kill a Mockingbird. I plan to have my daughter read it when she's studying the early 1900s time period in high school.

The Twilight Saga and Jane Eyre

2009-09-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

I added Jane Eyre to the list of Bella's Bookshelf when I read the following quote from Stephenie Meyer:

''I read it when I was nine,'' says Meyer, ''and I've reread it literally hundreds of times. I do think that there are elements of Edward in Edward Rochester and elements of Bella in Jane. Jane was someone I was close to as a child — we were good friends! I think in some ways she was more real to me than any other fictional heroine.'' (Entertainment Weekly)

I'm so glad I did. As to the elements of Edward and Jane in Edward and Bella, that was a little trickier for me, except for one glaring exception: neither of the individuals seems to see themselves in a true light. They all seem to be very self-deprecating.

One other thing that did strike me was the similarity, in my opinion, between a section of Jane Eyre and a section of New Moon. I have quoted both below:

'I can do what he wants me to do I am forced to see and acknowledge that,' I meditated - '... In leaving England, I should leave a loved but empty land - Mr. Rochester is not there; and if he were, what is, what can that ever be to me? My business is to live without him now: nothing so absurd, so weak as to drag on from day to day, as if I were waiting some impossible change in circumstances, which might reunite him to me. (Jane Eyre, Chapter 34)

I stared back at him. He was not my Jacob, but he could be. His face was familiar and beloved. In so many real ways, I did love him. He was my comfort, my safe harbor. Riht now, I could choose to have him belong to me. Alice was back for the moment, but that changed nothing. True love was forever lost. The prince was never coming back to kiss me awake from my enchaged sleep. I was not a princess, after all. So what was the fairy-tale protocol for other kisses? The mundane kind that didn't break spells? Maybe it would be easy - like holding his hand or having his arms around me. Maybe it would feel nice. Maybe it wouldn't feel like a betrayal. Besides who was I betraying anyway? Just myself. (New Moon, Chapter 18, p. 411)

The glaring difference is that I do not believe there was ANY feeling of love by Jane for St. John. Well, that's not exactly true, she did state she felt brotherly love for him, which is similar to how Bella felt about Jacob at the beginning. But in those passages, both of Jane and Bella were trying to decide if they should forget true love. Forget the hopes of true love. And just do something to move forward in life.

And both Jane and Bella were interrupted as they were making their decisions: Bella by the phone ringing, and Jane by hearing her name being called. That was so cool, it gave me goosebumps!

I'll have to ponder on the other similarities, and would be interesting in reading other people's ideas on that topic!

My thoughts on Jane Eyre

2009-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed this month's selection for Bella's Bookshelf! My enthusiasm waned while reading The Prince and the Pauper last month, and to be honest, I never even finished it. And while I loved Little Women the month before, that really touched my heart as a mother more than as a woman and a reader. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, as Little Women will always stick with me, but it was sometimes quite convicting to read the way Marmee handled herself with her daughters and in her situations compared to the way I handle those things.

Jane Eyre was a completely different experience! I had a hard time getting into the story at first. I see this to be a trend, and I'm not sure if that's a personality issue with me, or whether it's a reflection on the differences in the way books were written in years past compared to now. I think now, in general, a book has to grab the reader quickly to maintain his or her attention! There are so many things competing with books that are much faster-paced and that can be much more exciting. Or maybe it's a function of classical literature as a whole? I will have to pay attention during next month's selection, which was published in 1960 - relatively modern compared to our readings to this point!

I was afraid when I started reading Jane Eyre that we were in for another Oliver Twist: one bad thing happening after another. And I couldn't comprehend why the aunt and cousins were so mean to Jane. Once Jane left for school and made friends with Helen, I was quite intrigued. Once she decided to advertise for a governess position, accepted the one at Thornfield and moved there, and then met Adele, I was hooked!

I absolutely loved the way Charlotte Bronte wrote this novel, in the first person narrative but almost something more... it was as if Jane invited us into the room and while the action was going on, she would stop for a moment and do some additional explaining. Here is my favorite example:

"He spread the pictures before him, and again surveyed them alternately. While he is so occupied, I will tell you, reader, what they are: and first I must premise that they are nothing wonderful." (Chapter 13)

I thought this was great and served to draw me even deeper into the story! (I think I'm going to have to devote an entire post to my favorite quotations from this book! There are so many wonderful ones!!)

I was as confused as Jane, I believe, when Mr. Rochester told her that it was she who wanted to marry, and right away! And I was devastated along with her upon learning of the existence of Bertha Rochester. And then my heart completely broke when Jane left Thornfield. I truly cried and cried.

How I love a happy ending, though! And how I love a mysterious situation like the one where Jane hears Edward's voice calling to her, then we learn later that he had indeed called to her, and he heard her voice answering back! That was right up my alley!

I know there is more I want to discuss, but it's escaping me at the moment! I guess I'll come back to it when I remember!

In my next post, I will share the ways Jane Eyre reminded me of the Twilight series, specifically New Moon.

Jane Eyre - A Summary

2009-09-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Bronte
first published in 1847

Jane Eyre was rendered an orphan following the death of her parents. She was left in the care of her uncle and his family and, upon his death, was horribly mistreated by her aunt and cousins. At the age of 10, her aunt sent her to live at a charity boarding school for orphans. There the mistreatment took on a new style in the form of poor living conditions. However, Jane made friends and found a mentor. Soon word got out about the conditions at the school and improvements were made. Jane continued to live there and eventually taught at the school for a couple of years.

When her mentor left to get married, Jane decided to expand her horizons. Unknown to anyone else, she placed an advertisement desiring the position of governess. One reply came and Jane accepted the position. She traveled to Thornfield, where she is to teach Adele, the french-born charge of the master of the house, Mr. Rochester. According to the caretaker of the house, Mr. Rochester is infrequently home.

During a chance meeting, Jane meets and helps Mr. Rochester after he has fallen from his horse, though she does not learn it is him until she returns home. She is intrigued by him, and his personality. He frequently calls her down to talk with him, even including her when he is entertaining guests. Jane learns he is intending to marry one of the young ladies in the party. She will leave her position as governess before Mrs. Rochester moves into Thornfield. This is tragic for Jane, as she has fallen in love with her master!

Jane is called away because of the impending death of her aunt. She is told by the aunt that her mother's uncle had written searching for her, wanting to adopt her and leave his estate to Jane upon his death. The aunt wrote back to the uncle that Jane had died. Jane returns to Thornfield after her aunt's death, expecting not to stay long due to the impending wedding. However, in a strange twist of events, Jane learns that Mr. Rochester wishes to marry her, and not Miss Ingram.

Plans move forward for the wedding, but the happiness is interrupted during the ceremony. Jane learns that Mr. Rochester is already - and still - married! The crazy laughs Jane has heard, the attempt on the life of Mr. Rochester (and on Mr. Mason during his visit), and the strange "nightmare" Jane had before the wedding - they are all the result of Mr. Rochester's insane wife, who is kept hidden at Thornfield.

Upon learning this news, Jane flees Thornfield with no money and no way to take care of herself. She is desolate, starving, and on the verge of death when she is taken in by St. John Rivers, and his sisters Diana and Mary. They nurse her back to health and St. John, a pastor, gives her the job of instructor at a school for the area's poorest girls. Jane delights in her time with the Rivers sisters, and she even comes to enjoy teaching at the school.

In yet another twist, Jane discovers through St. John that they are indeed cousins. Her uncle, who had desired to adopt her and leave his estate to her has died, and did leave the estate to Jane alone. He gave a little to St. John, Diana, and Mary due to a dispute he had had with their father long ago. Jane is thrilled at the prospect of having a real family! She intends to divide the estate among the four of them. St. John, who has felt the call to missions work in India, asks Jane to go with him - as his wife. She agrees to go - as his sister - but he refuses. She struggles with this decision, and as she struggles, she hears a voice call her name - Edward's voice (Mr. Rochester).

Jane decides she must go to find out what happened to Mr. Rochester. Her letters have gone unanswered. She arrives at Thornfield to find it burned to the ground. She learns that Mr. Rochester's wife had set the place on fire, then committed suicide. Mr. Rochester, in an attempt to get everyone out of the house safely, including his wife, was seriously hurt - losing a hand, one eye, and the sight in his remaining eye. He is living at Ferndean.

Jane went to Mr. Rochester at Ferndean and at first he did not believe it was her. He told her he had called out for her, the very same night she heard his voice calling her name. Edward repented of his life's misdeeds, and he and Jane married quickly in a quiet ceremony. He regains the sight in his eye, and they have a son together, and are happy!

(OK, so that was sort of a long summary -and I'm not sure I got the details correct! LOL - but what can I say! I LOVED this book!! I'll post my thoughts in the coming days!)

Jane Eyre - coming soon!

2009-09-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

I'm still here - or rather, I'm back!!!

Discussion for Jane Eyre will begin next Monday, September 14th!

My thoughts on Brave New World

2009-06-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

I found Brave New World to be a very difficult book to read, not in terms of complexity of the vocabulary or sentence structure, but rather in the way it affected me. I was so disturbed in places that I had to put the book down and pick it up the next day.

It wasn't only the overt sexual behavior among children that was described in detail that bothered me, though that was certainly a major factor. It was also disturbing to read about a society that is based on consumption, pleasure, and entertainment and realize that our own society is headed in that direction already - and fast!

I kept having to stop and remember that this book was written in the 1930s! How on earth did Huxley think of these things? Like the babies in the jars... and the different castes were constructed by the addition or withholding of different substances at different phases of the development of the fetus. Was this information well-known back then? And the conditioning through subliminal messages in their sleep? Just creepy!!

If this book was to serve as a warning, we have not heeded it. Our society is based in consumption. Our leaders are taking more and more control over the private parts of our lives (and we are handing it over without a fight!). I could go on and on, but that might take this blog into the realm of politics!! LOL

I found this book on various reading lists for high school literature classes, some as young as 9th grade. I would not feel comfortable with a 14 year old reading this book. Perhaps a 17-18 year old senior, but certainly not much younger than that.

Brave New World - a summary

2009-06-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
first published 1932

This story takes place more than 500 years after Henry Ford invented the Model T. People are not born, but rather are "decanted" into distinct groups: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Epsilon. Each group has its own "place" within the order of the world, and are decanted and conditioned during childhood to fulfill that "place". Everyone is happy and carefree. Except Bernard Marx, and his friend Helmholtz Watson, who feel inexplicably discontent and frustrated with their lives. After a trip to a Reservation in North America, Bernard returns to London with a "savage", a man who was not raised in civilization. The three men eventually meet their different fates when they cannot submit their will to the good of the community.

Kidnapped - A Summary

2009-04-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Published in 1886

David Balfour, upon the death of his parents, travels to the estate of his uncle where he learns that he is actually the rightful heir to the estate as his father was the older son. His uncle arranges for him to be kidnapped, taken aboard a ship, and sold into slavery in the American colonies. On board the ship, David meets Alan Stewart, a Scot who is wanted by the law and offers to pay the Captain of the ship to take him to France. When David learns of the Captain's intent to kill Alan, he tells Alan and the two men defend themselves against the Captain and crew. The ship later sinks, and David is set to an adventure for his life to get back home to claim his birthright. With the help of Alan and other Highlanders along the way, David finally returns to his uncle and gets him to admit to the kidnapping in front of witnesses. David and Alan sadly part company at the end of the story.

My thoughts on Sense & Sensibility

2009-03-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

"My favorites were Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I'd read the first most recently, so I started into Sense and Sensibility, only to remember after I began chapter three than the hero of the story happened to be named Edward."

-Twilight, p. 148

Well, let me start off by saying I must disagree with Bella. I didn't find the hero of the story to be Edward at all! In my eyes, the hero of this story is Colonel Brandon! He not only took care of the daughter of the woman he loved at the expense of his reputation and marriage prospects, he immediately jumped into action when Marianne fell ill, despite the fact that he knew she did not hold any affection for him. He offered Edward a living when he found out that Edward had given up all claims to his family's money so that he could honor his promise to marry Lucy. He also took care of his "daughter" when Willoughby got her pregnant and left her. He was kind to Elinor and her family, and honorable to everyone he met, even those he knew were talking about him behind his back.

I had a hard time seeing Edward as a hero in the story, or even as a main character. He was in a chapter or two at the beginning, and all of a sudden, Elinor was in love with him. Then he was back towards the middle, but was revealed to be engaged to Lucy. Then he comes sweeping in at the end, and they get married. It was puzzling to say the least! :)

Willoughby gets my vote for the most exciting entrance as a character! I can see him carrying Marianne into her house, coat billowing behind him.... wow! Of course, he reveals himself to be a selfish scoundrel in the end, but his beginning was exciting! :)

I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters in this book as much as Pride and Prejudice, however, I think the characters of Marianne and Elinor were more true to life than Jane and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice (or perhaps I've just never had the pleasure of knowing anyone as good and kind as Jane!). Marianne and Elinor each had their faults, but they seemed to grow quite a bit by the end of the story, especially Marianne. Granted, Marianne was only 16 in this story, and 16 year olds can have a tendency to think they have all the answers (speaking of course from my own experience as a 16 year old! LOL). Only time and experience bring the maturity to change that!

In the end, I was very happy to know that Marianne and Colonel Brandon ended up together! He was my favorite character! I'm glad Elinor is happy with Edward, though I would have liked to see more interaction between them. I just didn't feel anything for their relationship.

And I was proud of myself because this book was much easier for me to read! I think it's a great example of how the more you read classic literature, the better you get at it! So even though it's hard at first, we all need to persevere! We can do it!

Back from Spring Break!

2009-03-17T14:54:00.001-07:00

I'm back from taking my daughter to DisneyWorld for her 10th birthday! It was a wonderful week, and I'm having a hard time getting back into the groove of real life! Tonight is the meeting for my "physical" Bella's Bookshelf book club... hopefully tonight or tomorrow I'll get my thoughts posted online! :)

Sense and Sensibility - A Summary

2009-03-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Sense and Sensibility
by Jane Austen
first published in 1811

Sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are very close, but have decidedly different personalities. The two young women each find love and feel quite secure in their attachments. However, both women are proved wrong when the objects of their affections reveal engagements to other women. Marianne openly displays her despondence, while Elinor keeps her feelings to herself, not only because her temperament requires it, but also in an attempt to protect Marianne's feelings. Ultimately, Marianne comes to terms with the ending of her relationship with Willoughby, and realizes that his selfishness would have ruled their lives. Meanwhile, Elinor despairs to find her beloved Edward Ferrars has married the foolish Lucy, only to learn that it was a mistake and that Lucy was instead married to Edward's brother, Robert. Elinor and Edward are married quickly and find a happy living on the property of Colonel Brandon. Over the next 2 years, Marianne finds her heart and mind's affections changed towards Colonel Brandon, who has adored Marianne from the first moment he saw her. They are ultimately married, and everyone is happy.

My thoughts on Animal Farm

2009-02-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

Well, as you may have suspected by the lack of posting, Animal Farm was not on my list of intriguing, page-turning books! I had been eager to read the book, as it's found on literally EVERY list of "must-read" books that I find during my homeschool planning efforts for my children. I had never read it in school (the story of my life!), so I was very anxious to know what makes this book a classic!

The story was simple to read... I finished it in about 5 days, and that was including writing a narration of the chapters as I read it. Unlike the works of Austen or Bronte, the language and sentence structure were easy to comprehend. I could actually read this book with my children playing around me! :)

I understood the parallels between Animal Farm and the Socialist/Communist regimes during the time the book was written. Perhaps it was more powerful then when Communism was such a looming threat? I did notice how the animals gave up their rights and freedoms bit by bit, which seems familiar in our present time... but in an attempt to keep this blog a politics-free zone, I'll stop there! ;)

All in all, it was a pretty boring book and I don't know what makes it such a classic. I even bought the Cliffs' Notes to see if I was missing something! I wasn't!

Perhaps that's the reason Stephanie Meyer chose for this to be the book she mentioned in New Moon after Edward has left, as Bella is emerging from the fog of despair.

"I forced myself to keep at it until the parking lot was full, and I ended up rushing to English. We were working on Animal Farm, an easy subject matter. I didn't mind communism; it was a welcome change from the exhausting romances that made up most of the curriculum. " (p. 99)

I can totally see how this would be an easy book for Bella in her state of mind after Edward has gone. She wouldn't need to concentrate hard on the language, considering how much she loves classic literature. She wouldn't need to delve deep to get any hidden meanings. She could read it, understand it, discuss it, write about it, all the while on "auto-pilot"!

I am glad I read this book, because now I can say I have! LOL And when I read New Moon again, in preparation for the movie premiere in November, I'll probably be able to relate to Bella a little bit more because of it!

Animal Farm - A Summary

2009-02-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Animal Farm
by George Orwell
published 1946

The animals at Manor Farm, after having not been fed by Farmer Jones for two days, rebel and expel him from the farm, which they rename Animal Farm. The pigs begin teaching the 7 Commandments of Animalism, which they learned from the old pig Major before his death. At first, all of the animals worked together, bringing in the harvest even better than had been done with the humans were in charge, and even defeating Jones and his men when they attempted to take back the farm. Then Napoleon, with his guard of dogs, took over control from Snowball, and decided to build a windmill to provide electricity to the farm to make life easier for all of the animals. As the animals worked harder and sacrificed more, small changes were made to the original commandments, but it was hard to prove as non of the other animals were literate. As time went on, the pigs became more and more like the humans had been, and nobody remembered the reason for the rebellion or how life had really been before.

Anne of Green Gables Flashbacks

2009-01-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

"I saw myself in a long skirt and a high-necked lace blouse with my hair piled up on my head. I saw Edward looking dashing in a light suit with a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand, sitting beside me on a porch swing.

I shook my head and swallowed. I was just having Anne of Green Gables flashbacks." - Eclipse, p. 277

Therein lies the motivation for reading Anne of Green Gables! It was just a small segment, but in the context of the passage - Edward and Bella discussing why Bella was having such a hard time accepting Edward's requirement of marriage before he would change her to a vampire - it was vitally important to me to understand what she meant!

What prompted Bella's Green Gables Flashback was Edward explaining to her that he was "that boy". In the time he was living in before he was changed, he was considered a man. He told Bella that if he had found her then, he would have "gotten down on one knee and endeavored to secure your hand. I would have wanted you for eternity, even when the word didn't have quite the same connotations." (p. 277)

It still boggles my mind that she was so against the idea of marrying him. ::shaking head:: What is WRONG with her?? Even if I had been totally opposed to it before, after that little explanation, I'm quite certain I would have changed my mind! ;)

Later when Alice shows Bella the wedding dress she has had made for her, Bella thinks, "It was my Anne of Green Gables vision all over again." (Eclipse, p. 614). Of course, now that I've read Anne, I can't help but picture Bella's wedding dress as having "puffed sleeves"! LOL I'm sort of hoping that's not the case! ;)

So, is Edward Cullen really a Gilbert Blythe?? I have a hard time picturing Edward ever pulling a girl's hair and calling her names! But maybe he did when he was young and human!? I guess as I read more about Gilbert and get to know him better, I'll be able to compare them! LOL

My thoughts on Anne of Green Gables

2009-01-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Be forewarned, this post will contain an obscene number of exclamation points! See? There's one already. ;)

I absolutely adored this book! I wonder how this book managed to slip past me when I was a young girl? I read and re-read the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Why did I never find Anne Shirley? I certainly missed out on quite a bit!

From the very beginning descriptions of Anne's dramatic behavior and her tendency to slip into daydreams, I compared her to my older daughter, Riley who is almost 10 years old. As I was reading, I would smile and say, "Yep, I could see Riley doing that!" But over the course of the book, I began to see more of myself in Anne. I will have to ask my mother if I was dramatic as a child, because I don't remember being that dramatic. I do know that as an adult, I completely identify with a quote that Marilla said of Anne in Chapter 22, "...the pleasures and pains of life came to her with trebled intensity." When I'm happy and feeling positive, there's no stopping me. When I'm sad and deflated, it's as if nothing will ever be right in the world again. I'm working on moderating those reactions a bit, but it's pretty difficult!

Immediately I liked Matthew, because of the way he responded to Anne. But I was unsure of Marilla until Chapter 7. This is the chapter where Marilla tells Anne to say her prayers, but Anne tells her she's never said one. Marilla rightly acknowledges that Anne is , "... this freckled witch of a girl who knew and cared nothing about God's love, since she had never had it translated to her through the medium of human love." Instead of being hateful to Anne and disgusted at her lack of concern about praying and about God, she understood that it was only because of the neglect and maltreatment she had received in her upbringing to that point. Right then and there, I loved Marilla!

It seemed to me throughout the story, that Marilla and Anne were "kindred spirits" in a way. A number of times through the book, Marilla understands Anne's reactions because she herself had felt that way when she was a girl. Though their personalities were expressed very differently, I think they are similar people at the heart.

I was glad when Matthew bought Anne a dress with puffed sleeves, and then when Marilla began to take notice that Anne's clothes were very different from her friends. I know how it feels to have your clothes be "different" at a particular age in your life when it's especially hard to be "different". I'm glad that Matthew helped Marilla see what needed to be done. I think it helped Anne's confidence!

I sobbed long and hard when Matthew died, despite the fact that I saw it coming and was prepared for it ( had it confirmed by friends who either read the book or saw the movie). The sobbing also continued through Marilla finally telling Anne how much she loves her. She then goes on to tell Anne that she and Gilbert's father had been involved, but quarreled and Marilla never forgave him. (More of that kindred spirit thing!) I think that gave Anne the last bit of determination to make up with Gilbert and develop a friendship with him.

I'll close this post with my favorite quote from Anne of Green Gables, from Chapter 36, near the end of the book:

"For we pay a price for everything we get or take in this world; and although ambitions are well worth having, they are not to be cheaply won, but exact their dues of work and self-denial, anxiety, and discouragement."

I picked up the sequel, Anne of Avonlea, yesterday and started reading it. Not for book club! But just because I want to know what Anne does next!

Anne of Green Gables - A Summary

2009-01-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

Anne of Green Gables
written by L. M. Montgomery
first published in 1908

Siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert intend to adopt a boy to assist Matthew with the farm work at Green Gables, but a misunderstanding occurs and they are instead presented with a red-headed girl named Anne Shirley. Despite Anne’s temperamental personality and a propensity for getting into trouble with her over-active imagination, the Cuthberts quickly become attached to Anne and decide to keep her. Anne quickly becomes best friends with Diana Barry, and develops an animosity with Gilbert Blythe, whom she competes against in school. Anne grows up, matures, and becomes an excellent student. When she goes away to further her education, she gets accepted into University and is awarded a scholarship. She decides to forego University, however, when she realizes that she is needed on Green Gables. She comes home to Green Gables and agrees to teach at the Avonlea school.

That was by far my easiest summary! I wonder if it was a “third time’s the charm” or if it was because Anne is a simpler book and was much easier to read?

Wuthering Heights and Eclipse

2009-01-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

This was my first experience in reading a book knowing that it was "based on" or "inspired by" another book (I'm am going to re-read Twilight later this year looking for Edward as Mr. Darcy). It was also the first time I'd read Eclipse since I'd read Wuthering Heights and was familiar with the storyline and quotes that Edward and Bella talk about.

And it was SO COOL! Ok, so that's not very mature and intelligent sounding, but there's no other way to put it. It's sort of like when people say something about Mr. Darcy, or Pemberley, and I know EXACTLY what they are talking about. It's like being let in on the joke that everyone gets but you.

I had already marked the quotes mentioned in Eclipse when I read through Wuthering Heights, so this time I got to do the reverse. I thought all along that my favorite part would be when Edward quotes WH and tells Bella, "I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" But I was mistaken.

My absolute favorite part was when Bella wakes up to find Edward reading Wuthering Heights, and he tells her he sympathizes with Heathcliff. The next morning she finds the book opened to the quote where Heathcliff is telling Mrs. Dean that he would never hurt Edgar because of how Catherine feels about him. The quote goes on to say that if her regard for him ceased, he would drink his blood." Oh my goodness, I got chills up my spine when I read it this time! It's hard for me to picture Edward as Heathcliff (because of my specific feelings toward Jacob), but I felt like I got a peek into the side of his nature that Edward works so hard to keep hidden. Unlike Heathcliff, Edward is able to consider Bella's needs before his own, but it's interesting to imagine what might have happened had Bella changed her feelings about Jacob! Hee hee. Oops, sorry for you Team Jacob folks! :)

So, yes, it was totally worth struggling through Wuthering Heights... if nothing more than to finally understand what Bella and Edward are talking about. I do feel that Bella and Catherine are the most alike, in terms of the characters in the books. Neither one of them could choose just one man and live with that decision (despite Bella's assertion that she always stuck by her decisions). I felt like Edward and Jacob could each represent Heathcliff and Edgar at different points.

I will start posting about Anne of Green Gables on Monday (or possibly Sunday, depending on how much I accomplish this weekend). There are Anne references in Eclipse as well! :)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T09:13:00.001-08:00

Welcome to 2009!!!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve! I'm spending New Year's Day reading Eclipse, so tomorrow look for my thoughts on my first time reading through it since I've read Wuthering Heights! I'm very excited!

I'll start posts for Anne of Green Gables on Monday! I finished reading it last weekend, and enjoyed it thoroughly!

Wuthering Heights from an author's perspective

2008-12-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

Wuthering Heights was the first book I read after I wrote my novel in November for NaNoWriMo. As I finished the story, I found myself thinking of the book through the eyes of someone who has written a story from beginning to end.

The biggest question I had was: Did Ms. Bronte begin the story already knowing the ending? I know there are many different styles for writing books, and some authors sit down to begin a story already knowing the different twists and turns it would take. I wonder if Ms. Bronte was one of those authors. Did Heathcliff and Cathy's obsessive and destructive love ALWAYS end up with Hareton and Catherine finding each other? Was that the entire purpose of it?

When I first began my book, all I had was a picture in my head of a scene at the end of the story. I didn't know how my main character got there, but slowly bits and pieces of ideas came into my head and I wrote the notes down as they came to mind. However, as I was writing, the story found its own path. I found myself becoming more of a storyTELLER in that I saw what was happening in the story (in my mind) and I just wrote down what I saw. There were a couple of twists and turns that I hadn't planned when I sat down to write my story. It was an incredibly interesting experience for me, as I tend to be a person who likes things to happen according to plan!

I wonder if Ms. Bronte had that experience as well. Did she set out to write a more traditional love story, and did Heathcliff and Cathy just take over? Was Ms. Bronte disturbed at the way they were destroying the lives of the people around them, and destroying each other, but she had to tell the story that they were giving her? If so, was she as relieved as I was at the end of the story when Catherine finally started letting Hareton in to her heart?

I think it would be hard for me to write a story knowing it was going to be so full of pain and hurt. But perhaps that is exactly what makes some stories appealing? Maybe I'll have to give it a try one day...

Twilight and Wuthering Heights

2008-12-17T08:52:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned previously, I only wanted to read Wuthering Heights because it is mentioned in the 3rd book in the Twilight Saga, Eclipse. It's been several months now since I've read Eclipse, so this post will be mostly my reactions to Wuthering Heights from the perspective of a Twilight fan. I will post again later this month when I've re-read the Twilight Saga and Eclipse is fresh in my mind!

First of all, I can see strong parallels between Wuthering Heights and Eclipse. We have a love triangle - Cathy, Heathcliff, and Edgar in WH/Bella, Edward, Jacob in E. Here is where it gets a bit trickier for me. Of course, Cathy and Isabella parallel each other, being the female leads. However, the men are a little more complicated. Heathcliff is wilder, more dangerous, free spirit - like Jacob. But Bella refers to Edward as her soul, her life, that she cannot live without him - which is a Heathcliff thing for Cathy. Edgar is more refined, and gives in to Cathy's whims - and that's what Edward does. Cathy does admit to loving Edgar, but she describes that love as being changing and like the trees in the changing seasons - very similar to how Bella describes the love she feels for Jacob. Her love for Heathcliff is perfmanent and fixed. She says she IS Heathcliff. He is to her, and this is another of my favorite lines, necessary. This is how Bella describes Edward.

Another parallel between the two books came to me while I was watching the movie version last night with my book club. Heathcliff leaves, just like Edward does in New Moon. In WH, Heathcliff leaves for selfish reasons. He has heard part of a conversation between Cathy and Nelly where Cathy says she is marrying Edgar, and it would degrade her to marry Heathcliff. He leaves before he can hear what she has to say next - that she IS Heathcliff, he is necessary, her love for him is fixed and permanent. His pride takes him away. Edward, by contrast, leaves out of fear. He thinks he is bad for Bella, and that his presence in her life puts her in danger. The result is the same for both women - they are pushed into relationship with the other man. Cathy marries Edgar, and Bella becomes involved with Jacob. When Heathcliff and Edward return, their ladies are thrilled to see them, their new men are LESS than pleased, and neither woman is able to make a clean break. For Bella, and in my opinion as I realize there are Team Jacob folks out there, she needed to break with Jacob and be with Edward. For Cathy, she needed to break with Heathcliff as she was married to Edgar. Both women wanted to have it both ways - and that doesn't work. In the Twilight Saga, though, Bella was eventually able to break from Jacob, while in WH, Cathy dies (as do Heathcliff and Edgar finally).

As I was reading WH, I found myself aggravated with Cathy in the same way I was aggravated with Bella in Eclipse. Edward was back, and Jacob was acting the fool (like Heathcliff when he insisted he was going to kiss her again - though I can't remember if that line was only in the movie, or if it was in the book, too). She should have put a stop to it, and ended the relationship with Jacob once she realized he wasn't willing to accept her feelings for Edward. Cathy should not have made herself available to Heathcliff once she realized he did not respect her marriage to Edgar. I felt it was selfish of Bella and Cathy to put both men (Edward and Edgar) through this. And I was upset with Heathcliff and Jacob for making it harder on Cathy and Bella than it needed to be. They were both too selfish and prideful to think of what was best for the women they supposedly loved. I don't believe Jacob had the ulterior motives of ruining everyone's lives, like Heathcliff did, but he certainly treated it like a "game" when he was dealing with the happiness and stability of the woman he professed to love.

I'm glad I read Wuthering Heights, both as a Twilight fan and as a reader interested in classic literature. I didn't necessarily enjoy the story, but I found it to be a compelling story nonetheless. And I can now understand why Edward is shocked that Bella keeps wanting to re-read it, and why he calls it a "hate story" instead of a "love story". I am very anxious to re-read Eclipse now that I have read this book! I'll be sure to post my thoughts after I have done so.

My thoughts on Wuthering Heights

2008-12-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Wuthering Heights was a book that I was most anxious to read, and I won't hide the reason - I wanted to read it because of Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight Saga. Bella and Edward discuss Wuthering Heights a number of times, and even quote directly from the book. I felt like I was missing out on a huge piece of the story!

But this post won't be about Twilight and Wuthering Heights. I'm going to save that for another post. This post is going to be my thoughts on the book and my experience in reading it.

As with Pride and Prejudice, I found this book quite difficult when I began it. The hardest part for me was in understanding who was narrating the book, and trying to keep all the character's names straight! I found out, too late, that my book contains a family tree in the beginning. That would have been most helpful, though it would have given away the plot, so I'm not sure it would have been good to look at that first. Maybe I should have written my own family tree as I was reading? Then once I figured out who was narrating --- Ms. Bronte decides to shift and have someone else narrate!! Classic literature keeps you on your toes.

My second difficulty came with one of the character's dialect. Ms. Bronte wrote the dialogue for Joseph, the caretaker/preacher at Wuthering Heights, in such a dialect that I never could make heads or tails of it. I hope he didn't say anything incredibly important to the story. I could make out through the course of the story that he pretty much didn't like anybody, and he thought they were all going to H***.

I will admit to not liking the story one bit as I was reading through it. In fact, it wasn't until almost the end that I even began to enjoy it. Looking for quotes from Eclipse kept me going, as well as a deep desire to know the story for the sake of understanding Bella and Edward better. I did accomplish that, and I will get into the details in my next post. Suffice it to say that Catherine Earnshaw aggravated me in much the same way that Isabella Swan did!

Initially, the only character that I thought positively about was Nelly (Ellen), who served as narrator for the majority of the book. But then, the story is coming from her perspective, so she would naturally present herself in a good light. Also, her inability to stand firm in her beliefs, and her desire to make her young charges happy ended up contributing to the strife and discord in both families.

The ending was my absolute favorite. And if you haven't finished reading Wuthering Heights, you should stop reading here! I don't know if it was the characters themselves and their qualities which endeared me to them, or rather that it was the first bit of happiness that I came across in the entire book! And since I absolutely NEED a "Happily Ever After", I latched on to the two characters who seemed like they have a chance for it!

Here is one of my favorite parts, narrated by Mr. Lockwood:

"Con-trary!" said a voice as sweet as a silver bell - "That for the third time, you dunce! I'm not going to tell you again. Recollect, or I'll pull your hair!"
"Contrary, then," answered another, in deep but softened tones. "And now, kiss me for minding so well."
"No; read it over first correctly, without a single mistake."
The male speaker began to read: he was a young man respectably dressed and seated at a table, having a book before him. His handsome features glowed with pleasure, and his eyes kept impatiently wandering from the page to a small white hand over his shoulder, which recalled him by a smart slap on the cheek, whenever its owner detected such signs of inattention. Its owner stood behind; her light, shining ringlets blending, at intervals, with his brown locks, as she bent to superintend his studies; and her face - it was lucky he could not see her face, or he would never have been so steady. I could; and I bit my lip in spite, at having thrown away the chance I might have had of doing something besides staring at its smiting beauty.

OK, I should note here that I totally missed this reference to Mr. Lockwood having regretted missing an opportunity for love with Cathy!! I guess when I first read it, I was just so happy that SOMEONE was happy, I skimmed right over poor Mr. Lockwood's laments. But back to my favorite part:

The task was done, not free from further blunders; but the pupil claimed a reward, and received at least five kisses: which, however, he generously returned.

As a reader, my heart rejoiced to see some love and happiness amidst all the pain and suffering and anger and heartbreak seemed to envelope both of these families. I would like to think that they live Happily Ever After and break the cycle of hurt they grew up around. That they will have babies one day and those children will grow up around the Heights and frolick in the trees and the other places that Cathy loves so well to visit.

As a new writer, this book provoked many questions for me, which I will cover in another post as well.

Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed reading Wuthering Heights! I think it will be easier to re-read it another time because I know that there is happiness to be found at the end of the story. It was hard to read through the constant pain and anger, not knowing if this is all that this book has to offer.

And I'm very much looking forward to re-reading Eclipse at the end of the month, with this new perspective of having read Wuthering Heights and knowing all of the references Bella and Edward make about it!

I'd love to read your comments about this book! Please don't hesitate to leave a comment to my blog... I have them set to require approval, but I'm checking 2-3 times a day for replies!

Wuthering Heights - A Summary

2008-12-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

The discussion of Wuthering Heights begins! I'll start as I did last time, with my summary of the book in a few sentences.

Wuthering Heights
by Emily Bronte
first published 1847

The Linton Family and the Earnshaw family are changed forever when Mr. Linton brings home a young orphan named Heathcliff. Heathcliff and Mr. Linton's daughter, Catherine, grow up together and develop an obsessive relationship. The choices and actions of both Catherine and Heathcliff dramatically affect both families.

Ok, that was a bit easier this time, to make a summary. I've had experience now doing the one for Pride and Prejudice, as well as the one for the novel I wrote. It gets easier with practice!

Please share your own summary of Wuthering Heights in the comments!

An author

2008-11-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

November has come to an end, and I am now an author! I completed my goal of writing a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. It was SO much fun! I'm already looking forward to next year!

I wrote a romance book that I titled "Cook's Treasure". The title was the hardest part of all!! Here is a brief synopsis:

Reagan Sinclair is visiting the Gulf Coast of Florida for a relaxing two week vacation. While out for a walk late one night she stumbles upon three men diving in the shallow waters off shore- and overhears the word "treasure". Can she figure out what's going on without endangering her own life? And how is the handsome but mysterious charter boat captain, John Corrigan, involved?

I'll be writing the first post about Wuthering Heights tomorrow! :)

Wuthering Heights in December

2008-10-31T19:06:00.001-07:00

Due to my taking on the project of writing a 50,000 word novel in the month of November, the discussion for Wuthering Heights will have to come in December instead!

I have made it through Chapter 11 so far, and it's a very different read from Pride & Prejudice! It took me a chapter or two to figure out who was narrating. I was expecting it to be a young woman! :) That will teach me not to make assumptions. I am finding that I'm understanding it earlier than I did P&P, with the exception of one character who is written in a dialect and I cannot make heads or tails of what he is saying!

So please check back in December... I'm also going to be re-reading Eclipse in December, which is the book in the Twilight Saga where Bella is reading Wuthering Heights over and over again! So I'll finally be able to understand what Bella and Edward are talking about in their references to Cathy and Heathcliff! ;)

Colin as Mr. Darcy?

2008-10-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

I've heard from a number of people that Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy would take my breath away. I'm not a huge Colin Firth fan, so I found that pretty hard to believe.

And then, I watched it. Yes, the 6 hour long BBC version on 2 DVDs.

My thoughts?

Well, first... allow me to catch my breath! ;) You see, I just finished watching a few minutes ago. They were right. LISA, you were right!!! I absolutely loved watching Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy! (I loved the actress who played Elizabeth as well) He had this "look", especially in the parlor when she was playing the piano and singing --- oh my GOODNESS! To be looked at like THAT by a man??? WOW! I think I would be faint! ;)

I highly encourage you to rent or borrow this version of the Pride and Prejudice to watch when your reading is complete...or even if you don't finish!! This movie would make you want to dive back into the book and see what you missed! I got my copy from my local Blockbuster.

Elizabeth, and her sisters

2008-10-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

As is typical for me when I'm reading any literature with a female role, I kept inserting myself into the story! And even though the star of the show in Pride and Prejudice, I kept finding myself wanting so much to be Jane!

Jane is kind, loving, calm, and sweet-tempered. I can't say that those last two ever have been used to describe me! LOL (I'm much more short-tempered and prone to holding a grudge like Elizabeth.) Jane is one of those people whom you want to be around and be like. I can think of a couple of "Janes" in my life off the top of my head, and they are such wonderful people! However, Jane's personality and temperament did nearly lose her Mr. Bingley! She was TOO reserved and didn't want to let on to him her true feelings! Yikes!

The next sister, is it Mary?? I can't remember her name. I think she is older than Lydia and the youngest, but now I am having a hard time keeping them straight and I don't want to get my notes! There was not much that I could tell of her from the story.

Lydia.... oh Lydia! I could probably devote an entire post to her recklessness and selfishness. But I shant! ;) Suffice it to say that, while I don't identify with her, my behavior as a young woman was much more likely to resemble hers than I would like to remember. It's funny how you don't seem to realize (or care) how others perceive you when you are young. And especially in that time, it could ruin a family. If it hadn't been for Mr. Darcy's provision and kindness, Elizabeth and Jane may not have had their happy ending, due to Lydia's indescretion.

The youngest sister.... can't remember her name. Shucks. Wild under the influence of her sister. :(

OK, now to Elizabeth! She seemed to me to be a modern woman for her times. She did not hold her tongue, especially around men. I'm thinking of Mr. Collins especially... sometimes men just do NOT get the hint, do they? Anyway, Elizabeth has real spunk and I admire that! I love how she just walked right over to take care of Jane when she was sick and stuck at the Bingley's place! She arrived sweaty and muddy, but she was determined to do what she needed to do! And her fierce devotion to her older sister was endearing!

One of the things I loved the most about Elizabeth was her ability and willingness to change her opinions and perceptions when presented with new information! That is something with which I struggle, and it is no easy task! It takes humility and sensitivity to be able to assimilate new information about a situation and re-evaluate it and realize you were mistaken. And then it takes an even greater measure of humility to own up to the fact that you made a mistake! I was incredibly proud of Elizabeth at that point, and decided that maybe it wasn't altogether bad if I indentified with her more than I did with Jane! :)

So which female character did you identify with, and why? Or if you don't get 'into' books in that way, I'd love to know your impressions of the ladies! :)

Mr. Darcy

2008-10-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm not going to do the "beginning, middle, end" summary right now. Man I feel like I'm back in school and I'm skipping out mentally on all the discussion and work of reading challenging stuff! LOL I'll get back to it, this weekend!

But first I'd like to focus on Mr. Darcy for this post!

I spent the first half of the book thinking to myself, "This is the guy that gets compared to Edward? The guy who people make Flair about? Really?!?!" I knew that, at some pointt, he had to come around to where Elizabeth (and myself LOL) like him! And, of course, that does happen, and it seemed to me to be a pretty dramatic change. In fact, I wrote this in my notes for Volume 3, Chapter 2 (or Chapter 44 overall, depending on how your book is set up:

"What is the reason for the drastic change in Darcy? Is it because he is at home and comfortable? Is it merely Elizabeth's perception folowing the revelation in his letter?"

I'll go first, and I'd love to know what your answers are!

I think it's both, really. I think Elizabeth was so blinded by her perception of Mr. Darcy - aided by the lies of Wickham, Darcy's interference in Jane's relationship, and this standard of social behavior that Darcy seems not to be able to live up to - that she cannot stop for a moment to interpret his actions as anything else. For Darcy's part, I think writing the letter was the absolute best option! It gave Elizabeth time to ponder each section, after she had settled down from constantly jumping to conclusions and being offended! And he was able to express himself in a way that is more comfortable to him, a medium in which he feels competent!

For me, my opinion of Darcy was changed by reading the letter as well, and finding out everything that he did for Elizabeth's sister (and her family). And the fact that he did NOT want it to become general knowledge when he had to have known the profound impact it would have on Elizabeth's feelings for him! He is an honorable man who cares deeply for other people. Also, that he realized he was wrong about Jane's feelings for Bingley, and set out to correct his error touched my heart. So often people find out they have made a mistake, but do not follow through in correcting said mistake!

So, all in all, I'm enamoured of Mr. Darcy now, like every other woman who has read P&P! (If you have, and you don't think Mr. Darcy hung the moon, please comment and let me know!) And he does remind me of Edward, but not in the same way. Edward is very comfortable in social graces, so they don't have that same dramatic flaw. Edward DOES have a flaw, I'm sorry to say --- the boy OVER-REACTS when it comes to Bella! :) Like Darcy, when Edward realizes that he has made mistakes, he sets out to correct them (by facilitating the visits to LaPush with Jacob after trying to forbid Bella from doing so).

I've got some thoughts to share about Elizabeth, too, but that will have to be another post! Mr. Darcy deserves his own! ;)

My apologies

2008-10-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

I am sorry for the lack of posting. My son's medical issues are still not resolved, and it has kept me busy! I intend to write more tomorrow on Pride and Prejudice!

My summary

2008-10-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

OK, here is my first step now that I've finished the book. I am to summarize the book in a couple of sentences.

Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
first published 1813

Elizabeth Bennett meets Mr. Fitwilliam Darcy and instantly takes a disliking to him, based solely upon her expectations and interpretations of his behavior. Through a series of family crises, she learns that she judged him wholly incorrectly, and she and Mr. Darcy find their way through their own prejudices into a loving relationship.

Wow, that was NOT as easy as I expected it to be. I can talk at length about the story, but to narrow it down into a few sentences is quite a challenge.

Tomorrow I will give my brief outlining of the beginning, middle, and end. Then I will get into my more personal thoughts! :)

I would love for anyone who might be reading to share your own short summary!

I finished!!

2008-09-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

I just finished the book! I am so proud of myself for doing it! I got to a certain point and just couldn't bear to put it down!

I'll start my discussions on Wednesday! :)

Almost Done!

2008-09-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

I finished Volume 2 of Pride and Prejudice last night! I am surprised at how much I am enjoying this story! It doesn't have the obsessive hold on me that the Twilight Saga had, but I think that's because I have to work much harder to understand the language in Pride and Prejudice than I do with Twilight.

I have to admit that it's completely annoying me to stop and write a 2-3 sentence narration at the end of each chapter. I wonder if I feel that way because these chapters are so short, so the flow gets interrupted more frequently than it would in another book? I just want to read! I do know that writing the narrations has helped to cement the story in my brain, and to make sure that I'm at least understanding the basic storyline.

I am also finding that I'm able to read more quickly the further along I get in the story! I am definitely getting used to the language, and even though I don't understand every single word, I am getting the gist of the story. That is SO exciting for me!

I am planning to finish the rest of the book by Tuesday night. I would like to post my beginning thoughts on the book by next weekend, and I hope to get some discussion going at that time!

Wow, I'm actually understanding it!

2008-09-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I finished Volume 1 of Pride and Prejudice!!

I am not sure every edition divides the book into volumes, so I am referring specifically to Chapters 1-23. I gave a friend of mine some of the details as I understand them, and she said that I'm pretty much on Target. (I do need to own up to the fact that I have watched Bride and Prejudice, which is a Bollywood musical version of the story.)

But I think I'm actually getting the hang of the language! The first 15 chapters or so required my intense concentration, but now I'm finding I'm able to stop for a moment to answer a child's question or comment, and come back to my spot and not be disoriented!

For my journaling, I have been writing a short summary at the end of each chapter. I am doing my very best to keep it to 2-3 sentences, which is a challenge because I like to write and include details. I know that must come as a shock, especially if you've read my homeschooling blog! ;) But I'm keeping to the purpose of helping my brain to process what I have read, and in the case of the complex language Austen uses, taking the story and putting it into my own words helps me to make sure that I really know what is going on.

There are a number of words and concepts that I'm not familiar with, but I am underlining and turning down corners to come back to those later!

How is your reading coming along? Please don't feel you have to keep up with my pace! I feel that I need to have at least the first reading done by the end of the month, so I can write about the book in greater detail! But don't feel pressured to do the same! This is supposed to be fun!

The last of the preparations are complete!

2008-09-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Today I finished reading Chapters 14-15 of How to Read a Book. I skipped forward to these 2 chapters, because they deal specifically with how to read imaginative literature.

The "rules" for reading imaginative literature, and specifically stories, are different from reading an expository work. Mr. Adler does not seem to enumerate these "rules" as specifically as he does for expository work, but he does give a great foundation. I did not find lists of questions to answer, as there are in The Well-Educated Mind, but there is a good deal of the same advice. First and foremost, Mr. Adler encourages readers not to try to "resist the effect that a work of imaginative literature has on you." I was thrilled with that line, and I highlighted it in pink! LOL He encourages readers to read through a story as quickly and intensely as possible. Do not be anxious if you do not remember each character or each event as it is happening. As you read along, important characters will reveal themselves and important incidents will be recollected and connected to one another. Allow yourself to step into the world the author has created, and become a participant in the happenings! This advice sounds right up my alley!

Mr. Adler goes on to say when you have read a story analytically, you will be able to tell what happened in the story in a sentence or two. (I keep thinking of the flair on facebook that says, "It's this story about a girl and she falls in love with a vampire... no really, it's better than it sounds!"). You should also be able to order the parts of the story according to their relation to time (beginning, middle, end). Then you will not only be able to judge the book based upon whether you like it or don't like it, but also be able to tell if it's "good" or "bad" and why you feel that way. This analytical reading should enhance the enjoyment of a story!

Having read the pertinent sections of both Mr. Adler's book and Mrs. Bauer's book, I think the approach I will take with Bella's Bookshelf will be somewhere in the middle. I think I will need to start more with the questions that Mrs. Bauer offers in her book for a starting point, but I won't obsess over answering each one. And I won't let it interfere with the enjoyment of the story. Both authors recommend getting through the story in its entirety first and foremost, so I will do that, taking notes and underlining and turning down the corners on confusing parts in a brief manner. Then I will go back through and work to answer the questions. I will share each of these stages on this blog, and I hope you will share your experiences as well!

I'm going to begin working on Pride and Prejudice this evening! And I'm VERY excited!

Musings on How to Read a Book, Chapters 1-5

2008-09-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

I've finished reading the first 5 chapters of How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler. As he encourages active readers to make a book their own by writing in it, he would be pleased to know that I'm doing exactly that in his book! It still feels very un-natural to me though!

I have been very encouraged by what I've read of this book so far. It has a different feel to it than The Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer. It is sort of hard to explain in just a few words, but I guess it feels more like a story than the "how to" book its name would imply.

For example, Mr. Adler speaks about how learning to be an analytical reader is a difficult task, but one that is well-worth the effort. In Chapter 5, he compares it to learning to ski, or some equally complex task. At first you have to concentrate on each of the different 'rules', and it's all so difficult and hard and frustrating. But as you get each step to become habit and natural, you can begin to move from just trying to stay up, into feeling the flow of the hill and the rush of the air.

This is especially meaningful to me. I know how I get when things are difficult and 0verwhelming --- I want to give up! I'm lazy intellectually because I was never challenged intellectually. School was always very easy for me, so when faced with a mental challenge (or any other kind of challenge), I gave up. It's one of the reasons I don't like to read difficult books. It's hard. My brain doesn't take as naturally to words as it does to numbers. Now I see there might be reason that I gave up: nobody ever taught me the 'rules' of how to be an analytical reader. But it's never too late to learn!

Mr. Adler agrees with a point that Mrs. Bauer made in her book: When you are reading a difficult book, it's OK for the first reading to be a ' just get through it' sort of thing. Mr. Adler calls this an "inspectional reading", which sounds much more official than "just get through it". That idea never occurred to me before! I can't tell you how many times I would start books and give up because they were hard for me. I couldn't understand everything that was going on! The notion of keeping on going because it might all fall into place later, or the fact that you get more from half-understanding a hard book than from completely grasping an easy book, never crossed my mind.

So I learned some important things from these first 5 chapters:

These first efforts are going to be hard, and messy
It's not going to be pretty at the start, and I'm going to make mistakes
The more I do this, the easier it will get
The results will be worth it!

I find myself getting more and more excited and anxious about this adventure in becoming a great reader! It is helpful for me to know that I don't have to be perfect from the very beginning. This reading and discussing Pride and Prejudice might be the hardest thing I've done in a very long time. It's going to be new and scary, and probably a big mess. But it's also exciting to think that one day I might find myself going back to Pride & Prejudice, and it will be easier! Maybe I'll even make new connections and pull new meanings out of the book at that time because I won't be focused so much on just getting through it!

And the first book will be...

2008-09-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen!

I chose this book because Stephenie loosely based Twilight on Pride & Prejudice. You can watch the interview where she discusses this here.

Also, I chose Pride & Prejudice because Bella mentions it as one of her favorite books in Twilight on page 148 (hardcover). She had taken her volume of the works of Jane Austen out into the yard with her, and she was trying to decide which book to read:

"My favorites were Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I'd read the first most recently..."

Which makes me wonder: Does Bella write in HER books? If I ever meet Stephenie Meyer, I'm going to ask her!!

Discussion will begin in October! I'll nail down a specific date in a week or so.

One step closer!

2008-08-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have finished the necessary chapters of Well-Educated Mind. It took me a little longer than I had planned because my 12 year old son had a medical emergency that has required my time and mental energy. I read the first 5 chapters, which include the introduction and preparation work, plus the detailed chapter on reading novels. The remaining chapters give details in reading the other genres, so I am going to skip those for now.

I will begin by admitting to being very overwhelmed when I began to see what this reading program was going to require from me. I have never been confident about reading and analyzing literature! To find out that I have to do 3 levels of reading in just one book nearly set me off my project. But I was patient, and continued to get deeper into the details. I soon saw that it wasn't as complicated as I had envisioned, though it will require some brain work on my part! But that's sort of the whole point! ;)

Now, let me stop right here and explain the one area that gives me the most pause: Susan Wise Bauer wants me to WRITE in my books!! She wants me to underline things, turn down corners (GASP!), and generally mark up my books?! She might as well tell me I should name my next child Renesmee!! (I'm just kidding... those of you who know me IRL know that I actually think that name is quite charming!) But I'm going to try give it a shot (the writing in books part, not the baby name part - I'm not quite that obsessed). I had already purchased paperback copies of Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights when a friend of mine gave me beautiful hardback copies that look like they are 100 years old even though they probably aren't! So, I can mark up my boring old paperbacks and still have the beautiful hardbacks that are intact!

There are too many details in the reading plan in Well-Educated Mind to get into now, but here is the general process:

The first level involves just getting through the book. Make notes of the parts that are difficult, interesting, or important (by turning down corners, using a sticky note). Write a brief summary at the end of each chapter, this is not the time for details. Jot down questions, reflections, connections in your journal in a different ink color. When you are finished with the book, make an informal outline from your summaries, then give the book your own title and subtitle that tells what the book does. (This last part really intimidates me)
In lieu of reading the entire book a 2nd time, just go back to those difficult sections and see if they make sense now that you've finished the story. Mrs. Bauer lists questions to consider for each genre, and when you answer each question you need include a quote from the book to make sure you're staying focused on the book.
The third stage requires the use of a partner who will be reading with you. There is another set of questions for each genre, and those are the basis of your discussions (in person or via email). The idea is not to get the 'right' answers, but to THINK about what you have read.

It sounds really overwhelming doesn't it? It did to me! But then I realized something. I've been DOING this already. I've been DOING it this very month --- with Breaking Dawn!!! Granted, it's not Pride and Prejudice or something as equally complicated, but it's still the same process! So I CAN do it! And you can, too! We'll do it together!

My next step will be to read How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler. Mrs. Bauer quoted this book a number of times in the Well-Educated Mind, plus I had already bought it for the children to study during their high school years. I am very curious about how Mr. Adler's recommendations compare to Mrs. Bauer's! Surely he wouldn't want me to WRITE in a book, would he? LOL

Getting Ready!

2008-08-10T12:56:00.001-07:00

I have decided to prepare myself for this adventure in literature by reading The Well-Educated Mind, by Susan Wise Bauer. I am hoping this book will serve as a guide for me as I am attempting to read this new level of challenging literature.

I remember being very frustrated in school when I was asked to infer things from reading or talk about symbolism or other fancy terms that I didn't really grasp. As I've been contemplating the reading that I'm about to tackle, I was afraid that I would end up feeling that same frustration as before. I have How to Read a Book, and I do intend to read that book as well during this process. However, I thought that the Well-Educated Mind might be a better starting point. Here is a description of The Well-Educated Mind from the publisher's website:

The Well-Educated Mind

Using the techniques and systems of classical education, this new guide will give you greater pleasure in what you read, and greater understanding of it. With her thought-provoking questions on each genre and her extremely useful annotated lists of what to read and how to begin on each of the genres covered, Susan Wise Bauer offers us the tools to reclaim our love of reading and to further our own education in meaningful ways.

It appears that there is also a website to accompany the book! I'll be checking that out in the days to come!

I am close to deciding on the first book I'm going to read. Right now, it's between Pride & Prejudice and Wuthering Heights!!

Coming Soon!

2008-07-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Bella's Bookshelf! Let me introduce myself: I am Niffercoo, a homeschooling mom in my mid 30s who is a huge fan of the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer! One of the things I love best about this series is that Bella, the female lead, is such an avid reader of the classics***. I was and still am an avid reader, but when I was school I chose to read Sweet Valley High, V.C. Andrews, and Danielle Steele. Fun books, to be sure... but nothing to stretch the mind.

Bella has inspired me to tackle these classics that I missed! I want to know who this Mr. Darcy is! I want to know what Bella and Edward are talking about when they reference Wuthering Heights! I even want to know about Paris falling in Romeo and Juliet!

So I invite you to read along and discuss with me as I tackle these classics for the first time! Our homeschool year resumes in early August, and that will keep me busy getting back into a groove. I plan to start posting and discussing sometime in October! I hope you'll join me!

***OK, it could also have something to do with a certain vampire, but this isn't a fangirl blog after all! :)