Reading Corner – Circle of Stones

Circle of Stones is epic historical fiction at its best! The tale is set in 12^th Century Wales and full of strong, fascinating characters and intrigue. I enjoyed it immensely! I had a little trouble with the beginning; I can’t put my finger on why. But once I was about 20 pages in, I was hooked. Having read the Eleanor of Aquitaine series by Sharon Kay Penman, which tells the tale of England during the same time period, I was especially intrigued and interested to hear the other side of the story, since the two countries were frequently at odds during the period. I feel like I’ve already read five books worth of story in one novel and I can’t wait to see what’s in store in the next installment, Circle of Stars. If you’re a lover of historical fiction or this period and haven’t read Anna Lee Waldo, I recommend you check her out. This is my first time reading her work, and I’m definitely going to be looking up her other novels in time as well.

Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.
~ Beverly Cleary

Reading Corner – In the Company of the Courtesan

In the Company of the Courtesan, Sarah Dunant

Oh my, this book was fantastic! Definitely a top fave. Maybe even something I could read again someday. (I have yet to ever re-read anything.) I was hesitant when I first started reading; I’ve tried so many books lately that failed me and I have read Dunant before and wasn’t overly impressed. So I was uncertain when I started. But I quickly fell into the story with it’s rich descriptions of first, Rome, and then Venice, in the 1500′s. The action ebbs and flows, much like the water in the canals of Venice. It was a pleasure to be along for the ride. In the Company of the Courtesan, is decadent, delightful, suspenseful, seductive, tragic…all these and more. If you are a fan of historical fiction, strong female protagonists, the period of the 16th century, or the history of Venice, then I heartily recommend this novel to you. You won’t be disappointed.

The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
~ Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!” 

Reading Corner – The Help

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett is OUTSTANDING. A fascinating, fabulous read. I thought the movie was good. The book was a million times better. Don’t get me wrong, the movie is worth seeing; I still say check it out if you haven’t. But I also encourage readers out there to pick up the book too. There is so much MORE in the book. This definitely ranks as a top favorite read of all time. (Thank you SO MUCH Jean for sending me a copy!) Kudos to Kathryn Stockett for writing such an outstanding debut novel.

I feel foolish, and even a little ashamed, that I really didn’t realize the way of life depicted in the story was such a short time ago. I mean the 60′s is barely 50 years ago! (You’re thinking, I KNOW.) Many, many people are still around that lived in these times. (Uh, huh. Where have you been?)

I have a better understanding of some things now, especially things I have encountered living in the south the last few years. When I encounter that random older gentleman who spouts racist or sexist remarks, I understand now that he never moved past the way of thinking that he was raised in and that he really can’t help his limited view of the world. Till now, I’ve just been appalled and unable to understand. It was all so before my time and completely beyond my comprehension in our current world. It doesn’t excuse the behavior by any means but at least I kind of understand where it is coming from now.

Between this book/movie and the tv show Mad Men, I feel like my eyes have been opened to the world of the 60′s and I’m fascinated. Fiction makes history come alive for me. It reaches me on a level that memorization of facts and dates and historical data never did in school. It places the information in a context that I can relate to and imagine. I know I was taught about civil rights, women’s rights, the history of our country, but I never absorbed the information in a way that it had any meaning for me. I was too young. Too detached. Too separated from the time period. Perhaps some of the ability to connect to the information comes with age and with relating to the passage of the years in a different way than you do when you are young. 50 years felt like AGES when I was young. Now, 50 years feels like a drop in the bucket. A lot can happen in 50 years, and yet a lot can remain unchanged in that same time too. When you are young, it is hard to look behind you and feel like the past has any connection to your present. I feel like I’ve broken through some invisible barrier that helps me see our cultural past more clearly and with a renewed perspective. It makes me eager to learn more, not only about this pivotal period in our history, but more about what it was it like for my parents and other living relatives who can remember these not-so-far-in-the-past times.

Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself.
~ Robert Ingersoll