Mirkwood Reflections

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 9/5/2014 Excellent - Classic - Audio  12 hr 18 min Scout's father Atticus is assigned to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman in 1930's Deep South Yes, I only managed to read one book in September, but wow! what a book! I've never read To Kill a Mockingbird before, but this was our book club selection. I took a while to relax into the flow of the story, but once I did, I adored it! 

Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare 9/18/2013 Good - Classic 96 pages, format: Audio Wild Prince Hal becomes a war hero. I watched the Hollow Crown adaptation before reading the play and LOVED it. (Helps that Tom Hiddleston plays Prince Hal.) I love Shakespeare more, the more I read him. Flashbang: How I Got Over Myself by Mark Steele 9/19/2013 Good - Inspirational 245 pages, Format: Print "Each story brings Steele closer to the realization that being a Christian is more than just saying you are. In the end, he reveals his secret to living a more meaningful life—how he got over himself." Amazon summary Someone recommended this, but now I can't recall whom. I alternately loved and hated the content; sometimes it seemed so pretentious, but other times, it was brutally honest and real. I didn't particularly like the format, which was a lot of dialogue between the author and some alternate "self" or even God, as well as a lot of jumping around betw...

I've missed posting here monthly, but quarterly will have to do for now. Maybe soon I can post more regularly. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - 9/8/2010 Excellent - Classic Re-read (AUDIO version) Catherine Morland visits Bath and falls in love. I am so glad I read this again. The girls I am teaching are reading all 6 of the Austen novels this school year and I'm reading along with them, of course. Northanger Abbey was first. The reading experience was so much richer this time around. Listened to the librivox version . I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman - 9/10/2010 Good - Suspense Eliza Benedict is contacted by her kidnapper/rapist 25 years later because he wants her testimony to save him from the death penalty. Interesting since it deals with the aftermath of a serious crime - not just the immediate results, but the long term effects on a victim's life. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - 9/20/2010 Good - Young Adult Katniss becomes a reluctant leader in the Rebellion...

Only two books in September!? What in the world? Well, I've been trying to complete The Fiery Cross for a long time (see below), as well as The Count of Monte Cristo, which is 1400+ pages long. I worked on a couple other books too, but didn't finish them. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - 09/04/09 Good - Chick Lit [999 Category - Nine and Counting] Lara Lington's great-aunt Sadie has passed on, and even though Lara hadn't known her at all, the funeral disturbs her, and when Great-Aunt Sadie's spirit visits her, Lara's life is turned upside down. I needed something light that I could FINISH, so I picked up Kinsella's new book. It was pretty good. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon - 09/13/09 Excellent - Historical Fiction [999 Category - Kindred Spirits] Jamie and Claire, along with Brianna and Roger, continue building their lives in pre-Revolution North Carolina. I've been stalled in the middle of The Fiery Cross for months now, but I began listenin...

I didn't read too many books in September, but I did write 13,000 words on a short story, so hopefully that counts for something! Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - 09/14/08 Excellent - Romance Fanny Price is sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins at Mansfield Park, but she is never quite part of the family. Took me a long time to get through this, but not because I didn't enjoy it. I really did! I think I'm getting the hang of reading Austen, actually. The love story is not the important theme in Mansfield Park, though. The Keepsake by Tess Gerrittsen - 09/20/08 Good - Suspense A murderer preserves his victims according to a number of grotesque ancient customs. I enjoy reading Gerritsen's novels. She's a doctor turned novelist and she writes crisply morbid novels. What does that say about me? lol Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready - 09/23/08 Good - Romance Funny but bawdy story of Flip Allison, who travels back in time and inadvertently ruins the love story...