Care to Join Us?

Our next read: Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's.

My personal record, around 6am. Not that I am bragging or anything. ;)

Books, Books, and More Books!

Every Christmas break I tell myself, "I am going to read books for fun," and before I know it, break is over and I have not picked up a single volume.  Nothing takes the joy out of reading like being told you have too, sad truth of human nature.  But, this last Christmas I did it!  I read all of these...

I concluded this AWESOME series (books 4-7), and I am super excited for J.K Rowling's new volume coming out this summer!

A very interesting modern fairy tale.  I had seen the movie first so I already knew the basic plot-line, but the book has a lot more depth and details (as they usually do!).

These stories were just plain fun, and a bit odd.  I find most folk tales are a bit on the strange side, no matter what part of the globe they hail from. 

Tea and murder, how could I resist?

The dud of my reading list.  Amazon kept telling me I would like the movie, so I decided to read the book first (a habit I am trying to get back to).  It was extremely depressing.  Imagine everything tragic and unsavory (and I mean EVERYTHING) that can happen to a modern teenager, and it happens to our main character or someone he knows.  Sorry Amazon, not my style.

Since Christmas break I have discovered a new favorite author, Truman Capote,

 

and I am currently starting my Spring break with this bad boy...or girl... or thing.

"It is a truth universally acknowledge that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."

Ahhhhhhhh, free time is such a luxury.  :)  Happy reading!

To Elizabeth...

...who stayed up until a very early hour to finish the last book in the Harry Potter series! 

(P.S. I, Lydia, am still on book six, so no spoilers please.) 

Welcome to Hogwarts

For a Halloween treat, one of our local cafes dressed itself as Hogwarts School of Wizardry. 

Complete with floating candles. 

Looks like Peeves the Poltergeist may be up to mischief. He appears to have pantsed the wall!  

Calling all Wizards

What with school and life, our poor book club has been shoved to the back of the closet. But every once in a while I'll take it out, dust it off, and look at it with remembrance of days gone by.

Although the HBP Society is not officially meeting, we girls have together been enjoying reading through J.K. Rowling's modern sensation: Harry Potter.

In my experience, Harry Potter often gets brushed off as "not that great", "okay", or even "not that original." I know because for years I was one of those people. My Mom had read The Sorcerer's Stone when it first came out many years ago, and Elizabeth read it sometime after that. They both agreed "There's nothing wrong with it, it's okay." Then earlier this year Rachel expressed an interest in reading Harry Potter. And before I knew it, I was bringing the next book home from the library every week or two, (and they were getting bigger!) we were watching the movies, discussing plot lines, laughing at the jokes, reading the books finally, and just falling in love with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and you can't help but love those Weasley Twins! And I asked myself: "Why did it take me so long to read these books?" At least I don't have to wait for the next book to be written like the early Harry fans.

For Rachel's birthday present we added the entire series to our library. Rach just finished book seven last night, Elizabeth just started book four, and I'm holding off on starting book three until I finish a book series about Merlin the Magician by Mary Stewart. Yes, there is a theme here.

  

Happy Reading (or watching.)

Here Ye, Here Ye!

Attention readers! The Harold B. Pricklepants Society is starting up again for the summer. We will be reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows to start, and from then on, who knows? It's summer and anything is possible!

"Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today."

Where Has All the Time Gone?

The summer of 2014 is gone with the wind. Book club was put on hold over the very busy season and was only recently started up again. We re-began with that timeless and beloved classic, Gone With the Wind.

Rachel almost didn't make it. I still haven't gotten her to watch the four-hour movie. So when she got first pick for our next read she chose The Giver series, one of her favorites. It will be a total of four books (The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son) but I guarantee it will be a shorter duration of reading than our dear Miss Scarlett put us through. "Why, fiddle-dee-dee!" 

The Good Earth

I Rest My Case

Teatime Snacks

Today the HBP Society met in our home at Wisteria Cottage, and Elizabeth and I took advantage of having access to a well-stocked kitchen to make these delicious treats:

Chocolate pockets on the left and plain pockets on the right, a sort of modified croissant. As they were baking in the oven Elizabeth thought they looked kind of like raviolis. I thought they looked kind of like books. Book Club Pockets!

 
Later in the afternoon, we settled down with our morsels, cups of healthy Immune tea, and dove into discussion on the wilds of Isak Dinesen's farm in Africa. 

Out of Africa

The Blog Bug!

Hello fellow bookworms! Since a return to blogging yesterday, the blog bug has bitten me. I had just finished posting on my own blog, The Fairy Bookworm, and reading a beautiful post from Wisteria and Roses, when I remembered poor Mr. Pricklepants. His blog is so neglected it seems. He himself is neglected. I keep forgetting to bring the Mr. Pricklepants ornament that serves as our table-sitting-mascot to book club! I'll put him in my purse right now. There we go.

Today the Harold B. Pricklepants society will be meeting for lunch at Summer Thyme to finish discussing A Town Like Alice, and we will have the exciting event of choosing the next read. What shall it be? Gone With the Wind? The Great Gatsby? Out of Africa? War and Peace?

A Town Like Alice

Farewell, Jane

Today, The Harold B. Pricklepants Society finished up Jane Eyre.  WHAT A GREAT READ!!!!   I'm so sad to see it end.

I first discovered this book at about age 10.  During one of our many moves, a box of books mistakenly landed in my room.  Like a treasure hunter unearthing a decrepit chest, I lifted the dusty lid and found a true gem:  Jane.  Since that initial meeting, I have read and re-read this book throughout many different "seasons" of life.  I never tire of the tale! 

As for filmed adaptations, I choose the Timothy Dalton version despite the "handsomeness" factor (which Rochester sorely lacks and Dalton overflows).  I can use my imagination when an "ugly" reference enters the dialog.  ;)  

The HBP Society will be taking a little break (for vacation -- HOORAY!).  In three weeks time (on 2/12) we will be reconvening to discuss The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie (Andrews) Edwards -- yes, Mary Poppins.  Rachel loves this book and enthusiastically lobbied for it!  I have a copy to tuck into my carry-on baggage.  I love to read away the time on a long flight.  

So, until then . . . Happy Reading!  :D

Another Splendid Read . . .

Re-Reading "Pride and Prejudice"

This is the third time I've read this book, and I enjoy it more every time. And in this re-reading, I find some of the illustrations in my copy most amusing!

(It's hard to see, but the sign over Jane's head reads "Not for Sale.")

What To Read Next? Pride and Prejudice!

 

Home Sweet Home

And so it is with reading Irene Hunt's "Up a Road Slowly" again. 

Simply amazing! 

*sigh*

A Little Something my Mom sent me.