"Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house."
With one week left to this business of summer school, I am left trying valiantly to motivate myself past the temptation of a senioritis-like dysfunctionality without so much as dabbling my toes in the devil-may-careness of that syndrome. Studying outside has proved surprisingly effective. This is surprising because I'm not terribly fond of hot weather, and these last few weeks have been decidedly warm. But somehow, every afternoon I've been outside, I find myself looking up from whatever my nose is in and realize that I am very warm and actually enjoying it. Perhaps the polar bear is going tropical...? Or perhaps it's just sheer delight at realizing that one does not have to imitate cave-dwelling to be studious...
Another helpful motivator comes in the form of my List Of Things I Am Going To Do After These Six Weeks Of Busyness And Toil Are Through, which I have fondly nicknamed... er... let me get back to you on that. Naturally, the tippy-top of that list involves reading, and I have a good few books (and a few good books) that I mean to steadily advance bookmarks through in the too-shrunken portion of summer that remains between July 1 and the start of the fall semester. To limit the size of the list and to allow for the miserly capacity of my brain just now, here are some of the new reads that I hope to complete (some already begun, some not). This is by no means comprehensive, but these are the ones that catch my eye as I cast a longing eye over my bookshelf...
1. Four Faultless Felons by G.K. Chesterton
Recognize this fellow? He turned up a few posts down... Anyway, I cheated and slipped in forty or so pages while Bauman's back was turned, but have been a diligent lass since then... though it threatens to kill me. It was worth it, though... and this one will probably find its way into my luggage to Jenny'n'Abigail at the end of June.
2. The Secret Key to Heaven by Thomas Brooks (Puritan Paperback)
I'm inordinately fond of the Puritan portion of the cloud-of-witness, which is probably why I neglect to read contemporary theological material so often. (I know, I know, a musty old hardback "Complete Works Of... Unabridged" on all these chaps would be so much more satisfactory, but I can afford the paperbacks. Someday...) This little treatise on private prayer has been tagging along with me since early this last spring... I should have a few more months left on it.
Missy gave me this lovely antiqueish-hardback copy for Christmas (which, funnily enough, matches this picture from Etsy) and I've failed to conjure the time to read it since. I love Goudge's style, however, and her grasp of human nature and ability to chart the movement of a story in a character's soul as well as the time-line is nothing short of beauty.
4. The Man Born to be King by Dorothy Sayers
A play-cycle on the life of Jesus first broadcasted on British radio between December of 1941 and October of 1942, I picked more for my love for Sayers and a curiosity to know what she would make of this kind of a project than a strong desire to read this sort of book. The poem at the beginning when I took the 'Look Inside This Book' option at Amazon was compelling enough. And I probably shall never be able to give my copy up, simply because it is battered and blue and published in 1943, and also because it arrived via Royal Mail. ^.^
5. Letters to a Diminished Church by Dorothy Sayers.
Heh. Trend, anyone? I have this one on loan and recommendation from Katie, with the caveat that the first half of the book is splendid and the second one seems to depart from the original topic. But considering that the subtitle is "Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine" and that Sayers is the author, half a booksworth on the subject seems worth a try! I cheerfully took the warning and kidnapped it anyway.
This is a sort of anthology of writings on the role of the Christian faith in literature and writing, with pieces by Tolkien, MacDonald, Schaeffer, Chesterton, O'Connor, (T.S.) Eliot, and others. I'm not a huge fan of bits'n'pieces books, but the title was tempting and the list of contributors was too good to pass up. Besides, I generally find the things on my "not a huge fan" lists generally boil down to groundless snobbery, and I'm happily looking forward to finding the same with this heftily-healthy-looking tome.
7. In the Hall of the Dragon King by Stephen Lawhead
Rachel snagged this for me from the 'City book-sale. While I would not recommend Lawhead's books universally for all ages, I have found a good many of his works delightful, thought-provoking, and even edifying. This one is part of a children's series, so less likely to be as stimulating, but there's surely a place for relaxing and letting one's soul bask in breezy-sunshine-works...
This (along with the Brontë sisters) belongs in that category of lengthy classics which I picked up at a scandalously young age and tossed aside unfinished in a fit of frustration/boredom/something fickle. I found Wuthering Heights weird, Jane Eyre sheerly depressing (heavily influenced by Liz here, I think), and Mansfield Park fell into the 'boredom' category. (I really don't know what made the difference between these and other works I read; it wasn't a matter of length, for at that same time I cheerfully ploughed through Dickens, all of Austen's other works except her shortest two, and even swallowed War and Peace.)
The failures of the deep past aside, I managed to enjoy Emily last summer, and I hope to vanquish Jane this year. Perhaps next summer I shall manage Charlotte at last, too.
And now with (hopefully) renewed stamina, I return to my paper-writing and slide-perusing. What new literary paths do you hope to forge this summer?
Don't discount the Lawhead book - when I first read it, I had snagged it from my dad. And it wasn't listed as a children's series then. Not sure why the change, but I've found it in libraries in both children's and adult's sections. I still need to read the final book of the trilogy. Somehow, I've never gotten to it. But I love the first one, and the second is also quite good.
Oh, no, never discount Lawhead! I'm very glad you said that, though; I really wasn't sure how Lawhead would write "children's," for all I've got to go on for his children's stuff is the Riverbank series - which, while I adored that, wasn't exactly the stuff this title promised. Calvin got the whole series for Christmas last year, so I plan on temporarily absconding with the last two at some point after I finish the first one. ^.^
The Dragon King Series! My favourite book series of all time, and the one that made Lawhead my favourite author.
It's a children's series only in that it's not unfit for younger eyes in the way that some of his other works are. Although, come to think of it, there is a bit of dark magic (practised by the bad guys of course) violence, and tragedy that I wouldn't recommend for pre-teens.
It's certainly not one of his children's books in the sense of his Riverbank Series (The tales of Anabelle Hedgehog and Jeremy Vole for 4-10 year olds).
Go for it!
Well, you've got a glorious summer awaiting!
I have to say, I'm so glad that you were a bit of a naughty girl about Felons. (How's that for a disturbing sentence... AGH! You and Jordan have conspired together to turn me into one of your punny selves, I swear it!) Anyhow, it's a fabulous book, and you'll love it. Yes, do read it at Jenny n' Abigail's - then you'll have all the delight of pleasant associations in addition to the book's own virtue when you open it up again.
Mmm, I want to read those Sayers books. I haven't read nearly enough by her, and The Man Born To Be King has been tantalizing me for a while by way of its title. I think this summer I'm going to read all of Chesterton and all of Sayers that I can possibly get my hands on...
...and I ought to try again with Mansfield Park. I likewise found it rather difficult to get through (though I loved Jane Eyre, so ha!) but since Abigail raves about it, it MUST be good.
Eeeeee! You've read War and Peace too? I didn't know ... *suppresses further fangirlish squeeing* Isn't it just one of the best books ever written, though? That's decided me - I shall reread it this summer. Take it to the beach with me and impress people unduly. :P
Ooh...they've updated the designs of the Puritan Paperbacks? They look so different. :D
I hope you like Mansfield Park. It's not my favourite Austen, but I did enjoy it. And that you change your mind about Jane Eyre, when you get to it. I guess I'm glad you liked Wuthering Heights? I'm not sure I could ever pick it up (the main characters sounded so horrible), especially not with my, ahem, "Harvard" (or was it Yale?) review. *cough* ;) (Rifles for Watie still cracks me up every time I see it...)
I also hope you like the Lawhead---that series is my favourite by him. To be fair, though, it's the only one I ever finished. :P I really should give the Pendragon trilogy/series (it was a trilogy when I tried it!) another chance, since I was really too young for it the first time.
As for my own summer reading plans: whatever I can get through. I've made it through, among other things, Hard Times, To Kill a Mockingbird (reread!), and Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit, and am currently on Persuasion and The Bruised Reed (both rereads). I've got, most notably, Sayers, Chesterton, and Sutcliff (borrowed) here, so hopefully I shall get through some. :)
The Hall of the Dragon King is good; though not so good as the King Raven or Albion trilogies.
I LOVE "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge; but I've never heard of this particular book! Is it good? Please do tell when you finish it ;)
~ Mirriam