Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for England] 

It's no secret to most of you that I absolutely love Jane Eyre. I've read it three times and it changes every single time for me. I never get tired of it. I've known about Wide Sargasso Sea

for quite awhile too, and ever since I heard it was about Bertha's take on her insanity I was intrigued. Let's face it, Bertha Mason makes Jane Eyre what it is. She brings all the creepiness and discussion into the book. If you haven't read Jane Eyre (Why haven't you read Jane Eyre?) then Wide Sargasso Sea probably won't mean much to you, and this post won't mean much to you, but if you have then you are probably interested to know more about this book.

It is set in the Caribbean and there is a lot of racial tension surrounding Bertha, or as she is called in this book, Antoinette Conway. I won't tell you why she has two different names because it would ruin a little surprise that is tucked away in the 171 pages of Wide Sargasso Sea. Antoinette is essentially white and very beautiful, while most of the people surrounding her are black. The book spends a lot of time exploring the racial tensions Antoinette experiences and Rochester sees, and in that aspect of the book I was a little disappointed. I think I was hoping for more Jane Eyre, but Wide Sargasso Sea explores new issues that belong to it alone.

The story is told in alternating parts from Antoinette's perspective and Rochester's perspective. As we know from Jane Eyre, neither Rochester or Antoinette are too into marrying each other. They are driven by money and sex, and later Rochester finds out she is insane and that her mother was also insane. Wide Sargasso Sea explores this insanity, and shows how it might not have been Anoinette's fault. After all, Rochester is a cold man who really hates her, he is sexually forceful and then later sexually cold, and he attempts to drive her away from what is most natural to her. All interesting ideas that have really colored discussion of Jane Eyre since the book was published.

As a book it is well formed, the characters well developed, the themes covered. Rhys steals fire and mirrors from Jane Eyre, spreading the ideas throughout the book. I underlined several conversations, such as,

"Next time she spoke she said, 'The earth is red here, do you notice?'
'It's red in parts of England too.'
'Oh England, England,' she called back mockingly, and the sound went on and on like a warning I did not choose to hear." (65)

I underlined this because of the concentration on the color red, as in fire, and because I think it shows Rochester's attempt to fit everything into the way he sees life. As you can see, well-formed, complete ideas that relate back to Jane Eyre. I enjoyed these passages, but then at times I felt like I was reading a paper about Jane Eyre instead of a book. Basically, I enjoyed this book in an extremely formulaic way. Maybe if I read it before I studied Jane Eyre in school I would have enjoyed it more? I'm not sure. I would recommend it though as it is very short. I read this book as part of the November Novella Challenge.

I give Wide Sargasso Sea a B.

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A 4,000-year-old statue was sold by Northampton Borough Council (NBC) last year despite an outcry from within the UK as well as other places, including Egypt. 

NBC sold the Sekhemka statue for £15.76m to an overseas buyer -- widely believed to be from Middle East -- in July to “help fund an extension to the town's museum and art gallery.”

Ed Vaizey, minister for culture, communications and creative industries decided to “place a temporary export ban” on the statue. He said the statue was "gifted" to the council in 1880.

The statue “will not be allowed to leave the country,” Vaizey said.

Arts Council England ruled earlier the sale breached the accredited standards for how museums manage their collections. Arts Council England banned Northampton Council from the Museums Association and accordingly has had a Heritage Lottery Fund bid rejected.

Vaizey’s decision is understood to be based on a recommendation by the reviewing committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), which is administered by Arts Council England.

The RCEWA said the statue was of "outstanding aesthetic importance" and was significant in the study of "the development of private statuary and funerary religion in Egypt and the history of human self-representation."

Save the Sekhemka Action Group praised the ban on exporting the statue. It said in a statement “Our group are obviously delighted that Sekhemka will not be leaving the UK.”

However, the group, which has been campaigning for the statue for many years, remains “deeply disappointed that the situation has been allowed to escalate.”

The statement described the NBC actions as “reckless” and “threatening” the future of Northampton museum.

Author: Marwan Sultan | Source: Ahram Online [March 30, 2015]

When I originally made the goal to send ten postcards via Postcrossing I figured I would spread it out a little bit. Maybe send one postcard a month or something like that. Let me tell you, Postcrossing is addictive. Once you've sent one postcard you just cannot wait to send the next one, and the next one, and the next one. And since Postcrossing lets you send up to five postcards at a time you're pretty much always all maxed out.

The great thing about Postcrossing is that you send something out there into the world and then you get surprised by a postcard in the mail every once in awhile. So far I've sent ten postcards and received five, but four of my postcards are still traveling to their destinations. I've received postcards from England, Italy, Finland, Poland, and the United States. I've sent postcards even farther, to places like Taiwan and Russia.

Somehow Postcrossing is able to match you to people with like interests. On my profile I talk about liking books, music, and comics. I've had a few people with extremely similar interests to me, even a French girl studying English literature in England.

The way Postcrossing works is you send out a postcard, someone receives that postcard and registers it online, then your name gets sent into the pool for a postcard, someone randomly receives your information and sends you a postcard, which you then register and the cycle repeats.

4% complete, 972 days to go!

Have any of you used Postcrossing?

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Thanks to everyone who joined in on my meme, I saw some great quotes up there! I was hoping I would be done with Jane and the Unpleasantness of Scargrave Manor by now, but I've got about forty-five pages left. After this I'm going to read Shirley Volume One by Karou Mori, which is a graphic novel about young maids in Victorian England. I wanted to read more of Emma by Karou Mori, which also takes place in Victorian England, but I only have volume three and I haven't read volume two yet. I'm kicking myself for that one, but maybe I'll be able to snatch it next week.

Here is my Chick Loves Lit meme: I am mostly reading in my bed today, although when I was at work I was sitting at the front desk.

Name of the book you're currently reading: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor.

Wanting Most: A cleaner desk.

Something you like to do besides read: Watch Friends Season Dvds.

Fact about yourself: I love going to Iowa's theatre productions and I keep all of the programs.

Activity you would be doing today if it weren't for the read-a-thon: Writing papers and doing homework.

Updated Stats:
Books Read: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret
Pages Read: 85
Total Books Finished: 1
Total Pages Read: 392
Total Time Spent Reading: 10 hours
Memes Completed: I Heart Monster's Compliments
and Reads4Pleasure's Hero/Heroine Vs. Dick Dastard and my own meme, Favorite Classics.

Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair

is an amazing book for any book lover, and especially for a Jane Eyre fan like myself. It is the first novel in the Thursday Next series. Thursday is a literary detective living in London. The novel takes place in a different universe where Russia and England have been fighting for an extended period of time. At the beginning of the novel she is investigating the novel Martin Chuzzlewit and almost hast tracked down the criminal who has been messing with the book, Hades, when she is injured. She survives because of a copy of Jane Eyre in her breast pocket, and when she awakes she finds materials left from Rochester.

This isn't the first time Thursday has seen Rochester. When she was a young girl she went into the story and saw Rochester and Jane's meeting, forever altering the reaction of Rochester's dog Pilot. In the world Thursday lives in Jane Eyre ended quite differently from the way we know the story. In her world Jane ends up marrying her dopey cousin St. John. This is about all we know and hear of Jane Eyre for the majority of the novel, which I must admit made me sad. I mostly kept reading to find out what was going to happen with the book. I will say that I loved Thursdays character though, and I enjoyed the book the whole way through even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted.

Thursday decides to return to her childhood home to find the villainous Hades. Here she is confronted with several obstacles, but is particularly bothered by her old boyfriend Landen Parke-Laine. Landen wants to get back together with Thursday, and she would comply if she could only get past what she feels was the betrayal of her brother. Landen, Thursday, and her brother all fought in the war together. Landen outed her brother for a mistake after his death which Thursday has never been able to forgive Landen for.

This was a great read with lots of fun puns and literary wonder. It took me a little while to get into but I think I will pick up the next in the Thursday Next series sometime in the future.

Pub. Date: February 2003

Publisher: Penguin Group

Format: Paperback, 384 pp

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That's what happened to University at Buffalo faculty member Philip Kiernan, who heard a rumor from a UB alumnus in 2010 that the UB Libraries housed the rare coins. Three years later, Kiernan, an assistant professor of classics, channeled his inner Indiana Jones and journeyed to the depths of the UB archives to find them.

The collection, he was shocked to learn, was real: 40 silver Greek coins, three gold Greek coins and a dozen gold Roman coins -- one from each era of the first 12 Roman emperors, from Julius Caesar to Domitian. They range in date from the fifth century B.C. to the late first century A.D.

Not your usual find.

"I must have been the first person to touch them in almost 40 years," says Kiernan, who brought in two experts to verify the coins' authenticity last semester and is now developing a graduate course to examine the items' history.

It's the first time the coins will be extensively studied, and Kiernan and his class will publish their findings.

Within the collection is a "remarkably rare" coin of Roman emperor Otho, who reigned for a mere three months. The Greek coins were struck by some of the most powerful city-states and rulers of the ancient world, such as Athens, Corinth and Alexander the Great.

The coins were donated in 1935 to the UB Libraries Special Collections by Thomas B. Lockwood as part of a larger collection of rare books. However, it wasn't until Kiernan examined them out of curiosity that the currency's rarity and value were realized.

Kiernan focuses much of his research on ancient currency and antiquities, and the experts he brought in to examine the coins were numismatists -- people who collect or study currency.

The coins are one of the many treasures stored in the UB Libraries, which also hold original works by James Joyce, Dylan Thomas and William Shakespeare.

"Libraries are becoming museums," says Michael Basinski, curator of the UB Libraries Special Collections. "Everything is going digital, but we remain tied to the physical objects."

Lockwood's collection includes more than 3,000 books, medallions and additional coins from early America and England. Other notable items include a medallion of Napoleon Bonaparte and 36 British gold coins, including one of Queen Elizabeth I.

Lockwood, an avid reader and collector of rare and special books, purchased the items to supplement his personal collection. Accruing relics and art was common practice among affluent men in the early 20th century.

"For book collectors, owning such extraordinary objects connects them to the history that's recorded in their books," says Kiernan. "They could read about the Emperor Augustus and then examine a coin with his image."

Most of the coins are in excellent condition, despite remaining in their original 80-plus-year-old casing. A few of the silver coins require conservation treatment. The collection's casing also will be improved.

The UB Libraries will open the collection of coins to members of the campus and local communities pursuing relevant research.

Author: Marcene Robinson | Source: University at Buffalo [March 11, 2015]

I am going to admit it... Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez is a book I read because I loved the cover. The summary makes it seem like a romance that just happens to be set during a major violin competition. So I was expecting something fairly fluffy and feel good romancy.

Umm. No. Not at all. There is so much more to the story than that. SO very much more. Carmen is an intensely passionate and complex character. She's an amazingly talented violinist, but she's also a teenager, a person, even though she's never really been given the chance to be normal. She's preparing for a huge violin competition, THE big violin competition and she's the favorite to win. But there is one other person who might be able to take the prize from her, a boy from England named Jeremy and Carmen becomes almost obsessed with discovering who he is so that she can determine whether or not she needs to be nervous. And what happens when they begin to get to know each other completely changes Carmen. And not in that annoying — OMG I like, have my first, like, crush, on like, this boy, like you know, he's like, well, like hot and stuff? — way but in a way that makes her question why she's really doing what she's doing and how far is too far in pursuit of dreams.

This book was so much more than I expected it to be and I absolutely loved it. From the teaser at the beginning where Carmen is contemplating dropping her Stradivarius violin off the balcony (!!!! NOOOO!!!) to the very end when the story comes to its ambiguous resolution, I was completely and totally involved in this story and I felt the story, nearly as strongly as if I were living it.

Almost every part of this story was perfectly blended. The side characters and their stories were fully developed and contained just enough detail that I really felt like I knew them as well. I find that I am lacking sufficient eloquence to do this story justice, but believe me, it is worthy of every bit of praise it has received. One of the most complex relationships in this story is that of Carmen and her mother. I am going to be intentionally vague here, because there is much to this story that you must learn on your own, but it is one of the most toxic relationships I have ever seen. On the surface, all seems fine. They have moments were they are just quiet together, being a mother and daughter and basking in the fact that they have a strong bond. And initially, I actually cheered that a parent in a YA novel was a good influence, active and involved in her child's life. But then things start happening that make you wonder at what is going on beneath the surface and I ended the book with absolute disgust and disdain for that mother and not a small amount of hatred.

My first inclining that all was not as well as it seemed was when young 11 or 12 year old Carmen has her first bout of crippling stage fright and, rather than work through it with her, her mother immediately signs her up for anti-anxiety beta blockers, because there's no way she can cope on her own and her career can't take another performance like that one. What type of mother does that?! Has such little faith in the abilities of their child and makes that painfully clear to them?! Carmen develops a psychological dependency on these beta blockers and her mother encourages this, telling her she is no good without them and that if she needs more, to just take more and all things will be fine. And this ends up being a large part of Carmen's struggles later in the novel.

I do wish that more time had been given to Carmen's struggle with addiction, because it is a dangerous and powerful thing. It seemed too easy for Carmen to overcome her dependency, especially given how strongly her mother pushed her to get back on them and that confused me some. I wish it had played a stronger role in the novel but as it stands, it was a stepping stone of sorts to the larger issue at play, which is her relationship with her mother/agent and where that all went wrong.

For most of the novel, Carmen is torn between wanting to be with Jeremy and not feeling like she is able to trust him (there's that mom again). And my heart hurt for her. It's impossibly hard to feel like the person that you are falling for is out to sabotage you. But really, Jeremy was a great person. He's confused as well, trying to reconcile each of the parts of himself into one person and figure out what is truly important in life. Watching the two of them start to learn together was wonderful and challenging and just made my heart happy.

The climax of the novel, which includes Carmen contemplating the destruction of an irreplaceable violin made me so emotional I had a hard time even reading. I was such a mixture of fury, disbelief, pain and fear. Carmen is not in a good place at that point, and I don't blame her. It was devastating to read but so well written.

Martinez really understands how to write a book, how to fully engage the reader and how to make one care completely for the characters within. I am going to be avidly watching Martinez for whatever she comes out with next. There is no way I can use one review to adequately describe every part of this novel that was great, to talk about each of the things that I loved, that really worked for this book. So just take my word for it (and the word of lots and lots of others who have also loved this one) and go read it. This is one time when even that stunning cover isn't enough for the brilliance of the story within. So seriously guys. Read this book.

Today I have an interview with up and coming author Alexandra Bracken. Her novel, Brightly Woven, debuts March 23. The short description of the novel from her website is, "Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him." I haven't read her novel yet, though I plan to, so many of you might be wondering why I chose to interview her. Bracken is unique in that she was working on publishing her novel while she was still in college. She signed with an agent on her 21st birthday and after spending her senior year revising the novel her dream is finally coming true next week. How did she do it you might ask, and I think the work diligence pretty much sums up Bracken's story. I won't just leave it at that though, as follows you can read her answers to my questions about how she balanced school and writing and what path (or paths) she took to get there.

Where did you go to school, when did you graduate, and what did you go?
I went to the College of William and Mary, graduated last Spring, and majored in History and English

Did you start as an English major? What made you decide to become an English major?
When I was applying for schools, I focused on the Virginia area, mostly because I knew I wanted to study Early American History and I would freeze my butt off if I went to school in New England. I had always loved English, but my dad had convinced me to major in History and Government because he wanted me to be a lawyer. BIG mistake. I took one Government class and realized how stupid it was for me NOT to major in English--AKA the subject I really loved.

What were your plans for after graduation? How have those plans been fulfilled or how have they been different than you expected?
Originally, I was going the pre-law route (I'm sure you've all noticed that when you say you're an English major, most people assume that you want to be A) a lawyer or B) a teacher)... but I realized, in the middle of taking the LSAT unfortunately, that being a lawyer would make me MISERABLE, and spent all of the summer between Junior and Senior year moping around without a life plan. My next idea was to work in PR/Communications (which I definitely recommend), but I ended up getting a scholarship to attend the Columbia Publishing Institute and decided to take it. I now work as an editorial assistant in children's publishing. Looking back, it seems like a natural choice since being an author had given me a lot of insight into the business.I'm not sure if it's what I want to be doing forever, but I'm happy to be employed and doing something I enjoy!


What made you decide to take on writing a novel while in college?
I first tried my hand at writing a novel my freshman year--I always say that NaNoWriMo made me very brave, and it's true. I thought I would just give it a go, and ended up getting hooked on the process.

Were you planning to publish this all along?
No... I tried to be very realistic about it and not get my hopes up, but secretly I was hoping I'd be able to sell something before I graduated.


How did you balance school and writing?
I get asked this all the time, and I'm still not sure what the right answer is. I was very disciplined and made a lot of social sacrifices on the weekends. You really do have to find a schedule that works, though. The first three years of college were incredibly reading and writing intensive (I was once assigned 2000 pages of reading a week in my Sophomore year. Not. Fun.), but that helped me write. Knowing that I only had an hour here or two hours there meant that I used that little time for writing and writing alone. When i was working on revisions with my agent, I gave myself a deadline to finish the first round before finals that May. Starting in March, I woke up at 6 AM every day and wrote until I had class at 1 PM, and when I was done with homework at night, I'd be back to revising. I tried getting up at 5 AM and squeezing in an hour of work out time, but... uh... I quickly decided an extra hour of sleep was more important than getting my fitness on.


What advice would you give college students who want to write seriously in college? What advice would you give those who want to publish? What steps should they take?
The advice that I always give to high schoolers and college students that ask me this question is this: While you're in school, focus on being a writer before you focus on being a published author. I really miss the days I had before I was published, when I could write whatever I wanted regardless of how crappy it was and I didn't have to worry about another person's judgment. I can't reinforce this enough, being published in college is like having a full-time job, and one that isn't always fun. It's an incredible amount of stress and pressure to put on yourself, when you're already anxious about exams/papers/what-have-you. Not everyone will have a negative experience, but I would also add that a good portion of my friends thought that I had graduated a semester early because I was so deep in my revision hole that I only surfaced for food and class. School is such a unique and wonderful time, but you don't get to experience it when you're by yourself writing. There are a zillion and a half elements in Brightly Woven that I picked up from the classes I was taking at the time. Be a sponge and absorb as much as possible from your classes and friends. Make sure you're taking advantage of all that college life has to offer, and if you happen to write something that you feel is ready to be seen by the world, go for it! Revise it seriously, submit it to agents, and learn from the feedback you get. Make sure that when you're writing you are happy and excited, because the minute you start feeling stressed out or depressed, it often means that your life has become unbalanced, and you need to step away and refocus.


What advice would you give to English majors about how to make the English major work for them after school?
Okay guys, here's a secret: what matters in the job world isn't necessarily what you majored in, but the internships and work experiences that you have. My current boss didn't hire me because I was an English major (though I'm sure that helped)--she claimed it was because I talked about coordinating our Student Assembly's Thanksgiving airport shuttle rides. So don't discount any work experience you have, regardless of how small or insignificant you think it is. I would also recommend networking with alums in the career field of your choice, and seeking out speciality programs like the Columbia Publishing Course, which often feed you directly into jobs. Besides the fact that companies are always looking for good writers (seriously--critical writing does not tend to be a strength of most business majors), so be sure to always play that up. Plus, you've spent how many years analyzing and forming your own arguments, right? That's another skill you have in the bag.

Alexandra's novel, Brightly Woven, comes out March 23. You can read a longer synopsis if you follow the Brightly Woven link.

VIA William and Middleton Kate adopt Acorn

I'm SO sorry! This was supposed to post on Friday, but apparently blogger's scheduling has failed me.: ( So, a few days late, here is a fun This or That questionnaire with the author of My Beating Teenage Heart (among with several others).

Spring or Fall

Spring because it means there are months and months of warm weather ahead of me whereas during fall I find it impossible forget winter’s right around the corner. My absolute favourite month is May.

Past or Future

Past. Not that I prefer it because who can say what the future will bring but I do tend to get very nostalgic about certain periods in my past, especially my years in Dublin in the 90s.

Marvel or DC Comics

I read more graphic novels than comic books and am a bigger fan of Drawn and Quarterly, Slave Labor and Fantagraphics than either Marvel or DC.

Legos or Lincoln Logs

We always had Lego at my house growing up so I have to go with them. I wasn’t sure what Lincoln logs were and Googled them and they look really cool too. I don’t know why I never had any of those!

Detailed planning or spontaneous decisions

Detailed planning, for sure. You should see all the research print-outs I amass when going on holiday.

Turkey or Ham

Turkey. I could practically have it every day for a week without getting tired of it. I don’t like ham but crispy bacon is yummy.

Sweet or Salty

Salty. I’m a potato chip fiend. I discovered Pop chips not long ago (they pop their chips rather than frying them so they’re healthier) and they’re amazing. When I was young I sometimes used to eat Oxo (bouillon) cubes on their own because I was crazy for the salt. Kinda gross, I know.

Ocean or Mountains

Ideally both like in Vancouver but if I had to choose I love being near the water so have to vote for ocean.

Hardcover or Paperback

Paperbacks because they’re lighter and more portable, though I’m not a fan of e-books (which are the ultimate in portability). I prefer reading a physical copy of a book, even if it’s one I borrowed from the library.

Truth or Dare

Truth, because I’m a chicken!

M&Ms — Peanut or Peanut Butter

Peanut butter. And now I’m craving some!

A one room library or Books in every room in your house

Ideally I’d prefer a library but since our apartment is small right now it’s more like books in every room.

Gum or Breath Mint

When I’m over in Ireland or England I go mental for spearmint Polo mints but normally I prefer a long lasting gum like Excel sweet mint.

Painting or Photograph

I like both a lot but I’m better at taking photos, when it comes to painting I’m purely a spectator.

Uncertain theory or Absolute fact

The detailed planner in me is drawn to absolute fact but my curious mind is pulled in the direction of uncertain theory. Ultimately curiosity wins here, I’m going with uncertain theory.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today! I seriously love your answers!:) PB M&Ms ftw dude, FTW!!

This was my first Tasha Alexander book and I am certain it will not be my last. The main character is Lady Emily Ashton, a young woman living in England, year 1888. She is uninterested in marriage and is a little rebellious. She marries only to escape the nagging of her crazy mother and spends her short married life not knowing her husband. When he dies, however, she begins to read his journals and this is when she falls in love with him. She finds out that her husband, Phillip, was actually more than the wealthy hunter she thought he was. In fact, he was very literary and artistic and very much in love with her. This of course causes her a great amount of grief because she realizes her marriage was a lost opportunity.

The book started out a little bit slow for me, it took me about three chapters to really get into it. Once I did get into it though, I became very interested. Alexander does an amazing job of really shaping the characters. Emily is very lovable. She becomes obsessed with drinking port and is really quite scandalous for her time. The mystery of her husband's death doesn't really arrive until halfway through the novel, but there is enough substance in the first half that I did not feel bored. There were some points that I laughed because they were just not realistic at all, like Emily's plan to go to Africa to find her husband, but Alexander made up for it in other parts and a highly realistic story for the most part. Overall a good read, I'll be sure to check out some of her other stuff.

Pub. Date: October 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Paperback, 336pp

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About the author:

They had her at hello. From her first moments in Charleston and Savannah, and on the South Carolina and Georgia coasts, novelist Karen While was in love. Was it the history, the architecture, the sound of the sea, the light, the traditions, the people, the lore? Check all of the above. Add Karen’s storytelling talent, her endless curiosity about relationships and emotions, and her sensitivity to the rhythms of the south, and it seems inevitable that this mix of passions would find its way into her work.

Known for award winning novels such as Learning to Breathe, the recently announced Southern Independent Bookseller Association’s 2009 Book of the Year Award nomination for The House on Tradd Street, and for the highly praised The Memory of Water, Karen has already shared the coastal Lowcountry and Charleston with readers. Spanning eighty years, Karen’s new book, THE LOST HOURS, now takes them to Savannah and its environs. There a shared scrapbook and a necklace of charms unleash buried memories, opening the door to the secret lives of three women, their experiences, and the friendships that remain entwined even beyond the grave, and whose grandchildren are determined to solve the mysteries of their past.

Karen, so often inspired in her writing by architecture and history, has set much of THE LOST HOURS at Asphodel Meadows, a home and property inspired by the English Regency styled house at Hermitage Plantation along the Savannah River, and at her protagonist’s “Savannah gray brick” home in Monterey Square, one of the twenty-one squares that still exist in the city.
Italian and French by ancestry, a southerner and a storyteller by birth, Karen has lived in many different places. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she has also lived in Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana, Georgia, Venezuela and England, where she attended the American School in London. She returned to the states for college and graduated from New Orleans’ Tulane University. Hailing from a family with roots firmly set in Mississippi (the Delta and Biloxi), Karen notes that “searching for home brings me to the south again and again.”

Always, Karen credits her maternal grandmother Grace Bianca, to whom she’s dedicated THE LOST HOURS, with inspiring and teaching her through the stories she shared for so many years. Karen also notes the amount of time she spent listening as adults visited in her grandmother’s Mississippi kitchen, telling stories and gossiping while she played under the table. She says it started her on the road to telling her own tales. The deal was sealed in the seventh grade when she skipped school and read Gone With The Wind. She knew—just knew—she was destined to grow up to be either Scarlet O’Hara or a writer.

Karen’s work has appeared on the South East Independent Booksellers best sellers list. Her novel The Memory of Water, was WXIA-TV’s Atlanta & Company Book Club Selection. Her work has been reviewed in Southern Living, Atlanta Magazine and by Fresh Fiction, among many others, and has been adopted by numerous independent booksellers for book club recommendations and as featured titles in their stores. This past year her 2007 novel Learning to Breathe received several honors, notably the National Readers’ Choice Award.

In addition to THE LOST HOURS, Karen White’s books include The House on Tradd Street, The Memory of Water, Learning to Breathe, Pieces of the Heart and The Color of Light. She lives in the Atlanta metro area with her family where she is putting the finishing touches on her next novel The Girl on Legare Street.

You can visit Karen White's website at http://www.karen-white.com/.

Pump Up Your Book Promotion
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My Review:

When Piper was six years old, she helped her grandfather bury a box given to her by her grandmother. This box is forgotten until, after her grandparents death, she seeks answers regarding her families history that no one is able to answer. Piper retrieves the box, and inside she finds aged scrapbook pages, a faded newspaper article about an infant that was found dead, and a gold charm neckace. In a search of her grandmother's home she also finds a secret room containing a baby crib. After reading several of the scrapbook pages, she becomes determined to track down a woman that was very close to her grandmother, mentioned as being one of her closest friends as a child. Yet, her grandmother has never mentioned her name. Her grandmother suffered from Alzheimers, and Piper experiences a great deal of remorse at not knowing or discovering more about her grandmother while she was still alive. He vows to stop at nothing to find out more about her grandmother's past. She soon discovers that there is a past that has remained hidden for some time, and individuals that want it to remain this way.

THE LOST HOURS takes the reader on a trip through several generations. It highlights the importance of family, and taking the time to know and maintain ties to older generations. It grabs and takes hold of your heart from the very beginning. You become a character in the book, you experience the things the characters experience. It takes hold of your emotions like very few books do. I treasure the time I spent reading this book, and regret the moment when I read the last few pages.

This book really hit home for me. My grandmother has been experiencing bouts of dementia for the past several years. Oftentimes she doesn't remember her husband and often has flashbacks of her childhood. She's not the Grandma I remember as a child, and I regret not taking the time to learn more about her life. I hope I still get the opportunity to do so, if not with my grandmother, then with the other members of my family.

In my post about the Audiobook I mentioned that The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

was my first audiobook. For this review I'll talk a little bit about the book itself and then I'll talk about the actual audiobook. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is a memoir about Bill Bryson's childhood in Des Moines, Iowa, during the 1950's. It's about Des Moines, but not just about Des Moines. It's about a time when moms stayed at home and made meals out of magazines, kids could ride their bikes downtown without parental supervision, and all the restaurants you went to were locally owned. Basically it's about a world that doesn't exist today, and maybe about a world that never really did exist in real life.

A disclaimer, I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, too, although I grew up in the 1990's. Because of that I enjoyed this book a lot. It was insane for me to hear about all the restaurants and stores that used to exist in Des Moines and are no longer there. Des Moines has changed a lot even in my lifetime. The East Village used to be a really dumpy somewhat terrifying area, and now it has tons of hip boutiques and ethnic restaurants. I worked in the East Village this summer and I never ran into a pan handler, which used to be unheard of. Some of the things he talks about I knew existed at one point, or they closed during my lifetime, but most of these things I'd never heard of, never thought of, never seen. Bryson talks about how Des Moines used to be, and how America used to be, this wholesome, local business thing. And while he was a part of that, he was also a bit of an outsider. Both of his parents worked, which was unusual for Des Moines at the time, and they both worked as newspaper writers, which was a different career than most people in Des Moines had at the time. Because of this I think he can give a unique perspective on that world and how people, or even how he himself, reacted to his family.

The audiobook itself is wonderful. It's narrated by Bill Bryson who is obviously from Iowa so he says very Iowan things, like warsh instead of wash, but he's lived in England for quite awhile and so he has a bit of a British accent as well. He is a great reader and has great delivery with his jokes. I listened to this audiobook while walking or driving and I caught myself getting stared at because I was laughing hysterically at what he was saying. It feels a lot more like he is telling you about his life than reading a book he wrote to you.

I give this audiobook an A.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

With us today we have the lovely Elizabeth C. Bunce, author of A Curse Dark as Gold, a fantastic retelling of Rumplestiltskin (set in the Industrial Revolution! Brilliant!) and the "Thief Errant" series, which is about Digger, a spy and thief who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a magical rebellion. The first book, StarCrossed, is out now, and the second, Liar's Moon, comes out in November!
Make sure to stick around till the end of the interview for a chance to win your own copy of StarCrossed!
Without further ado, I give you: Elizabeth C. Bunce!

~What inspired you to set the tale of Rumplestiltskin in the Industrial Revolution?
A couple of things, actually. First, I wanted to set the novel in the time and place of fairy tales—that imaginary Fairy Tale Country—and thanks to classic artwork by Dulac, Dore, and others, for me that's the 18th century. Second, it was a natural extension of the decision to set the story in an ailing textile mill, because the social and economic changes of the Industrial Revolution presented an existing set of realistic obstacles and conflict for the plot. And, to be perfectly honest, I was in love with the clothes of the era, and just couldn't imagine Uncle Wheeler dressed any other way!

~What was the research process like for the story, both on the fairy tale front and the historical front?
On the fairy tale front, I read as many traditional versions of Name of the Helper tales as I could—not just early "Rumpelstiltskins," but also pieces like England's "Tom Tit Tot" and Scotland's "Whuppity Stoorie." But my goal was always to focus on the story of the girl who bargains away her infant son, so I did stick pretty close to the "Rumpelstiltskin" framework. The rest of the research—oh, mercy! I dug into everything from everyday life in the 18th century, to traditional folk magic and ghost stories, and, of course, a huge amount of research (both book learnin' and the hands-on kind) into the woolen textile industry. I have monographs on wigmaking, esoteric economic histories of individual mill towns, even the journals of period woolworkers. For me, research uncovers not just the things you know you're looking for—but almost more importantly, the things you had no idea you needed.

~Will we ever see more stories set in Charlotte’s world?
Yes! I have one published now, a ghost story called "In for a Penny" in the Scholastic anthology Bones, edited by Lois Metzger (July 2011). And I have a few more ideas—including more retellings—up my sleeve, as well.

~Why fairy tales? What is it that calls to you, personally,as a writer, and why do you think readers connect to them the way they do?
As a reader, I'm even a bigger fan of retellings than I am of the original tales. I am fascinated by the ways authors expand and adapt the source material while keeping the stories fresh and accessible to today's readers. There's so much potential in the fairy tales, and I find it really comes to life in a brilliant retelling. I'm particularly drawn to the fairy tale landscape—the dark woods, the impenetrable briar hedge, the castles. But as a writer, I like the challenge of re-imagining those classic settings; expanding the borders of Fairy Tale Country, as it were!

~StarCrossed seems pretty different from Curse; did you feel it was a departure for you? How does StarCrossed’s Digger compare to Curse’s Charlotte?
I like to say that Curse was written for my adult literary and fairy-tale scholar self, while StarCrossed and Liar's Moon were written for my inner 16-year-old fantasy fan. So in that way, I can't say the series is a departure, although it did feel very different to write Digger's story than Charlotte's. As characters, Digger is a complete 180 from Charlotte. Charlotte thinks over everything before she makes any move, and Digger is very much more a Shoot First, Ask Questions Later kind of girl. Oddly enough, their goals end up being the same (saving the people they care about), but their methods are a little different. I have a feeling Digger would have taken one look at Shearing and Stirwaters, said, "To hells with this," grabbed everyone, and lit out of there.

~StarCrossed is a series, so I know you’re in the middle of that, but are there any plans to tell more straightforward fairy tale retellings in the future?
Definitely! The first novel I ever wrote was a retelling, I have a collection of short retellings that's been in the works for a while, and I've just started collecting research materials for a Victorian-era fairy tale project I'm excited about.

~What’s your favorite scene you’ve ever written?
I don't know! What a great question. Since we're talking about Curse, let's narrow it down some. I still think that book has some great scenes (I especially love the conjuring of Jack Spinner, the introduction of Biddy Tom, the crossroads, and the denouement)... but today I'm feeling romantic, so I'm going to say Randall's gift of the watch. There's something magical about those rare moments where you can capture everything about a story in just a few lines, and I think this scene between Randall and Charlotte tells us so much about both characters.

Lightning Round!

~Rapunzel is named after lettuce; what odd thing would you be named after if you were in a fairy tale?
Hopefully I'd get a name! But it would probably be something like Donkeyskin or Aschenputtel. Maybe Doghair. Hundehaare. That sounds about right.

~ Using that name, give us 1 line from your life as a fairy tale:
Hard by a great prairie, in a cottage surrounded by mud in all seasons, guarded by a pack of hounds, lived a woman known as Hundehaare, whose back was permanently bent from bending over her books, her fingers gnarled and pricked from the needle. But from her muddy cottage, Hundehaare crafted things of great wonder, and her work was sought by folk from distant lands.
(Ok, that's two lines!)
[The judges confer... Two lines is acceptable, since they are such good lines.:) ]

~Best fairy tale villain and why?
Well, see, I tend to take a longer, more sympathetic view of my fairy tale villains, so it's difficult to come up with a list of inexcusable baddies. The thirteenth fairy in "Sleeping Beauty" is awfully petty, but, then, who hasn't felt wounded at being excluded from a party? And for mismatched dishes? But after giving this some deep thought, I'm going to have to go with The Pea.

~Favorite tale from childhood? Favorite tale as an adult? Least favorites?
My favorite always was and will probably always be "Beauty and the Beast." The least favorite one is hard to answer; it used to be "Rumpelstiltskin," hands down—but I feel kind of bad about saying that now, since the story has actually been very good to me!

~If you could be any fairy tale character, or live through any fairy tale "happening," who/what would it be?
Although it directly contradicts another answer below, I'm going to say I'd like to accompany the soldier as he follows the dancing princesses to Faerie.

~Would you rather:
- — eat magic beans or golden eggs?
Eggs

- — live under a bridge with a troll, or all alone in a high tower?
Tower

- — be forced to spin straw into gold for hours on end, or dance every night until your shoes are worn through?
Spin. Was there ever any doubt?

Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us, Elizabeth! For those of you who haven't read A Curse Dark as Gold (was there ever a better title?), Misty and Ashley both highly recommend it! And if you haven't read StarCrossed, here's your chance!

Misty's review of A Curse Dark as Gold | Ashley's review of StarCrossed ***GIVEAWAY*** Thanks to the awesome people at Scholastic, we have a beautiful finished hardcover copy of StarCrossed to give away to 1 winner!
To enter, answer this question: If you were to retell a fairy tale, what would it be and where/when would you set it?
Then, fill out this form.
International
Ends May 5th May 8th!

Dawn of the Dreadfuls, the prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, was a book that I kind of got some flack for reading. It really reminded me of why I started this blog and I wondered if I should feel embarrassed to be reading this mash-up, especially since mash-ups have been getting oh so much criticism lately. Once I got past this question, however, I found I was really interested in the story. Here is a quick bit from the back of the book to introduce you to the topic: "Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls-a thrilling prequel set four years before the horrific events of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As out story opens, the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English countryside. They idle away the days reading, gardening, and daydreaming about future husbands-until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry."

The story was engrossing, and I felt like the use of zombies became a bit of a commentary on the colonization happening during the Victorian era. Maybe I'm overreaching with that, but that is how I saw it. It was almost like Frankenstein with the character Dr. Keckilpenny, a love interest of Lizzie's who tries to understand that Zombies and turn them back into gentlemen. Everyone in this story is basically stripped of their desires and given a set of instincts that they feel they must follow. It was truly creepy, and I felt like it was more than just another mash-up of Pride and Prejudice.

Which leads me to my main qualm... why did it have to be? Obviously the author, Steve Hockensmith, used characters from Pride and Prejudice and ideas from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but I feel like the book would have been way better if it was just a novel about zombies in Victorian England. I also feel like this would have allowed Hockensmith to explore the politics of this idea more. It's unfortunate that so many people won't read this book because they feel it rips off Pride and Prejudice, because there are some good ideas. In this case, I think the mash-up kind of killed the book.

Still, this novel earned a B.

Watch the book trailer! It gives a really good sense of the novel!

This book counts for the Jane Austen Book Challenge.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog. This novel was provided to me by the publisher.

Morocco is home to a sizable and centuries-old Jewish community, which over time has had significant in every field, without religion being an obstacle.

The Kingdom of Morocco, therefore, has a long tradition of tolerance, even when anti-Israel sentiments in near-by countries have resulted in senseless acts of violence, like the April 2002 bombing of a synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia, before confirmation of jihad and al Qaida penetration in the then apparently calm North African countries.

Morocco, thanks to Hassan II and his son Mohammed VI, has always managed to escape, as evidenced by the numerous places of Israeli worship that is protected and even looked after by the Kingdom, which has also paid a heavy price to Islamist-motivated terrorism. The country does not want tensions related to religion to occur.

Attesting to this is the Passover festival, held in complete safety for thousands of Jews (who come not only from Israel, but also by European countries, United States and Canada), to celebrate the Hiloula, participate in the pilgrimage to Asjen, and visit the grave of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan and the synagogue that was dedicated to him.

And the same happens in Moualine, with the annual pilgrimage the mausoleum of Rabbi Abraham Aouriouer, whose figure is still today respected even by non-Jews, so that the celebration is attended by the highest civil authorities and politicians of the region.

The inclusion of the synagogues in the medina restoration is a strong sign that Morocco wants to make itself even more visible with initiatives that elsewhere would cause alarm, but that in Morocco is simply the continuation of a decades-long tolerance policy.

In Casablanca, as reported by La Vie Economique, a tender was launched for restoration of the Medina as well as the restoration of the Ettedgu synagogue, including its garden and surrounding area.

Also to benefit from the restoration are many other places of Israeli worship, including Benarrosh, Beth Elohim and David Hamelekh synagogues popular for the faithful, as well as tourists interested in history and art.

Source: ANSAmed [March 12, 2015]

Considered the cornerstone of modern democracy, liberty, justice and the rule of law, the 1215 English charter forms the basis for legal systems around the world, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the US Constitution.

About 1,200 people, drawn from a ballot, have won the chance to see the unification event at the British Library, which brings together its two originals with those of Lincoln and Salisbury cathedrals.

The four parchments will then be on private display in the UK parliament, marking the start of a year of celebrations for a document that still has resonance eight centuries later.

"No free man shall be taken or imprisoned or disseized or outlawed or exiled or in any way ruined, nor will we go and send against him except by the lawful judgement of his peers by the law of the land," the document states in Latin.

"To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice."

Charter made after rebel barons challenged king

In June 1215, the wayward King John agreed to the demands of rebellious barons to curb his powers and sealed the charter at Runnymede, a meadow by the River Thames west of London.

Although nearly a third of the text was dropped or substantially rewritten within 10 years and almost all the 63 clauses have been repealed, Magna Carta principles have become "a potent, international rallying cry against the arbitrary use of power", the British Library said.

One of Britain's Supreme Court judges, Anthony Clarke, said it was still important for governments seeking a balance between issues of security, individual rights, the rule of law and the "principles of justice that lie at the foundation of society".

He said the principles that justice should be available to all, the law applies to all equally and leaders can only exercise power in accordance with the law continue to be fought for in many parts of the world.

Magna Carta Trust, which looks after the memorial site in Runnymede, said the charter's importance was growing.

"800 years on, Magna Carta's best days lie ahead," it said.

"As an idea of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, it is lapping against the shores of despotism.

"The principles set out in Magna Carta have driven the Arab Spring and the continuing protests against despotism around the world."

Magna Carta 'linked to prosperity'

The principles of the Magna Carta extend well beyond the world's common law jurisdictions such as the United States, India and Australia which inherited England's legal system.

Lawyer David Wootton, a former lord mayor of London, said English law was the "common currency" of global business deals precisely due to the protections derived from Magna Carta.

"Investors regard their money as safe here (in London) because of the protections in the legal system," he said.

"There is a close relationship between economic development, societal development and the quality of a country's legal system."

Events are being staged across Britain throughout 2015 to mark the anniversary, including a major international commemoration event at Runnymede on June 15.

Exhibitions, debates, conferences, church services, lectures, charity dinners, theatre performances, tourist trails, village fetes, and even a national peal of bells are being staged.

There will also be a mock trial of the barons who forced the creation of the charter in parliament's Westminster Hall to debate whether they were guilty of treason.

Source: AFP [February 02, 2015]

The first English class I ever took was on Virginia Woolf. After one semester with her you would think I'd never want to see Woolf again, but I fell in love. I feel in love with Woolf and vowed to read everything she's ever written. It took me until this summer to really sit down with another Woolf novel and I decided on Orlando

because it was short and the premise sounded really interesting. At the beginning of the novel Orlando is a young man in Elizabethan England, but by the middle of the novel Orlando finds that he is a woman. This creates lots of interesting experiences and through the change we can see how the life experience of a man is so different from that of a woman. I really thought I was going to love this book, but I just didn't.

Ever other paragraph is complaints about publishing and writing and being a female writer. Woolf spends so much time talking about that it becomes a bit hard to follow what is going on, at least I found it difficult at times. I thought she would really explore gender roles more, but I felt the story was lacking on that exploration because Woolf kept talking about writing and how sad it is to be a writer. The back of my book even says it's "the longest and most charming love letter in literature" but also talks about "the brink of a future that holds new hope and promise for women." I kind of felt like the book wasn't sure what it wanted to be. I realize that female writers have struggled because of their gender and have been less respected but the two never really came to one solid point for me in this book. Normally I love Woolf's ramblings but this time it felt like a bit of a cheap way to fill the book.

It also just didn't really feel like Woolf to me. It's a bit of a time travel book, involving Queen Elizabeth, Constantinople, and finally ending in 1928. It's also more narrative than her other books, which is part of the problem I think. It was like she was trying to take a way of writing and force herself into it, but it just doesn't work. Overall though, I think I was just disappointed because it wasn't what I was expecting. I realize the genius of the idea and there really are some areas in the book that make you stop and explore a little bit in your own mind. By the end of the book though I just felt... bothered.

I give this book a B.

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I just signed up for two great book challenges for next year. The first is Becky's Book Reviews 18th and 19th Century Women Writers Reading Challenge. It is a pretty light challenge, only two books required over the course of the year, and since it's my favorite genre I have a feeling that I will completely obliterate that in a month. I'm just excited to find a reading challenge that fits with what I like already, even though it's really not challenging. I'm challenging myself to read two authors I have not heard of before, so hopefully that will shake things up.

The second challenge I signed up for is also for all of 2010. It is called Reading Western Europe which is another one of my interests. It's a heftier challenge, twelve books over the course of the year. You are required to read one book that is set in each of the twelve countries listed on the site. Some of them are easy, like Ireland, England, and France, while others are more challenging, like Monaco. Luckily there is a cheat sheet on the sign up page to give you ideas.

Both of these are great and creative challenges that I'm very excited for!

I was a little disappointed with the second volume in Kaoru Mori's Emma series, so I was thrilled to see how beautifully crafted Emma: Volume 3 was. It truly made me fall in love with the series all over again. As I read each new volume I can see Mori's artisty become even more sophisticated. This was especially true of this volume. I don't know the manga lingo, so I will do my best to describe it. In this volume it seems like Mori is moving away from having several boxes on the pages to longer ones that take up a third of the page or even scenes that take up two full pages. The details in these drawings amazed me, and when I turned the page a few different times during the book I literally gasped. If you haven't read the Emma series yet, I urge you to do so. The remainder of this review will assume that you have read Emma: Volume 1 and Emma: Volume 2.

The last time we saw Emma she was leaving London after a failed romance with the aristocratic William Jones. This volume picks up right there, with Emma's journey to a new home on a train. Here she meets Tasha, a maid to a wealthy family. It is through Tasha that Emma finds her new place of employment and encounters many new mysterious characters. William Jones is still in London, but he is actually working now. It appears that since his father requested him to be serious and not consider riff raff like Emma he has decided to do exactly that. It is truly sad, because he pretends like everything is fine and dandy. His sister, however, can see that something is bothering him. William passively moves through this book though, not hinting towards his true feelings.

It seems like Mori is getting a little more interested in Victorian history with this volume, and especially with the options given to women during the time period. Most of Mori's stories deal with maids in Victorian England, but here we are introduced to the possibility of teaching as a governess or becoming an authoress, as the book says. Mori also uses historical background as a way to transition between scenes which is different from the two past volumes.

This novel earned an A.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.