Vacation Books.

Sean and I have recently returned from a week in Washington, DC, and I've been thinking about vacations, and books, and books read on vacation ... you get the picture. Given the nature of the vacation, I didn't pack any books to bring with me, but it didn't take long before I was desperate for something to read. I bought two books while on vacation, and my choice of reading material was definitely influenced by the vacation I was having. Does anyone else find this happens?

The two books I bought were The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The first book is a story of the Battle of Gettysburg as seen through the eyes of a number of the participants, and the second is set in Germany during the 1930s. Coincidently, Sean and I spent one day exploring the Gettysburg battlefield and another day at the Holocaust Museum. I highly doubt that I would have chosen either one of those books if we had rented a cottage by the beach or gone to a Caribbean resort. The material would not suit the locale. Does anyone else find themselves doing this?

When I go on vacation, I seem to choose book that fit the trip. A visit to the east coast to visit my parents requires lots of light reading; mysteries and historical romances would be high on the list. A visit to a cottage with Sean, or up to Moosonee like we did last year, requires something a little deeper. With few distractions, I can read something a little more substantial. A trip like that would have literary fiction of some sort. That's when I would read Through Black Spruce or Three Day Road. I haven't actually had a beach or resort vacation in more than a decade, so I don't even know what I would bring; I'm guessing it would be seriously light reading.

I have now now finished Killer Angels, but I haven't started The Book Thief yet. I really enjoyed The Killer Angels and Sean says he wants to read it as well. It tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg, a pivotal battle in the American Civil War. What is so interesting about The Killer Angels is that Michael Shaara used the journals, letters and diaries of a number of key participants in the battle to craft his story. It is a multi-perspective story that flips between the Union and the Confederacy. The reader gets to see how the battle was seen from the point of view of the generals and the average soldier. If you enjoy history, I would recommend it, but I don't think it's for everyone.

Now, I want to know - am I the only one who chooses their vacation literature based on the type of vacation they are going on? Or am I insane? Let me know your thoughts.

Book Clubs

I've been a member of a book club for years now. It's been probably close to 10 years that I've been choosing and reading books with this group, and it's been great. The group has definitely changed over the years with members moving or disappearing and others joining, but the core members have been the same for the last six years or so. I think finding the right mix is really important. My book club is very laid back, and on occasion, we haven't discussed the book we read (oops). I would hate an uptight book club; that would not be me at all.

This entry was inspired by Stuart MacLean's Vinyl Cafe Diaries. The Vinyl Cafe is a radio program on the CBC that tells the stories of Dave and Morley. Vinyl Cafe Diaries is a book that has collected a group of these stories in print format. One of the entries in the Diaries is about Morley joining a book club. Now, the humour of the story comes from the fact that all the women in the book club are completely pretentious, and that the club is no fun at all. What I found most interesting about the entry was the list at the end. Morley and her friend decide to start their own book club, and they have five categories of books to read. Here is their list:

1. A book about a man I could marry.

2. A book I read in grade school.

3. A book that mentions chocolate favourably.

4. A book I want to read because I saw the movie.

5. A book my husband would quit after the first chapter.

When I read these categories, I thought they would be a fabulous base for a book club. I also started thinking about what books I would put into each category.

1. Pride and Prejudice is the first one to come to mind. Who wouldn't want a Mr. Darcy? Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is another one. Jamie Fraser makes me swoon!

2. This one is harder. To Kill a Mockingbird would definitely make the list. I loved it. I also read a lot of Nancy Drew, so maybe re-reading Nancy Drew and comparing her to a more "grown-up" female detective would be an interesting choice.

3. The only one that comes to mind immediately is Like Water for Chocolate. I'm sure there are a million others, though. Chick Lit is full of chocolate.

4. I actually just finished reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief because I saw the ads for the movie. I'm also looking forward to re-reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

5. My husband would quit reading most of the books I read, so that's not hard. Any chick lit is going to be high on his "not to read" list.

Well, now it's your turn. What books would fit into those categories for you? I can't wait for more suggestions.

Good Wishes

I just wanted to wish everyone, whether you celebrate it or not, a very happy Ayyam-i-ha. Have a wonderful time.

Me, a Janeite?

What exactly is it that makes one a Janeite? Does one have to quote extensively from Pride and Prejudice? Must one compare all men (unfavourably) with Mr. Darcy? Is it forbidden to enjoy the works of the Bronte sisters? If these are what make one a Janeite, then I fall far short of the measure. However, I have just finished reading Michael Thomas Ford's novel Jane Bites Back, and it makes me realize just how much I have read and seen around the whole Austen oeuvre.

I follow a blog on the world of Jane Austen, I have seen movie versions of most of Austen's works (Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy), as well as Becoming Jane and Lost in Austen. I find Austen very easy to get lost in. She creates real worlds with real characters. Even two hundred years after she was writing, you can feel the honesty in the writing. I think it is this honesty that makes Austen so enduring as a writer.

There is now an entire industry of novels that either re-write Austen novels, have Austen herself as a character, or tell a story of how others have been changed by an Austen novel. I've read most of them. In my book club, we have read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which takes the plot and language of Pride and Prejudice and inserts zombies. Elizabeth and Darcy bond while slaughtering hordes of the ravening undead; what's not to like? We've also read The Jane Austen Book Club which is about a group of women in California who decide to read the books of Jane Austen and begin to realize that their lives mirror the lives of the Austen heroines. The third book we as a book club have read in the Austen oeuvre would be An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aiden. This is the first of three books that tells the story of Fitzwilliam Darcy from his perspective. Wow, my book club has spent a lot of time on Jane Austen inspired books. Maybe we are all closet Janeites.

I have just finished reading Jane Bites Back which turns the world of Jane Austen on its ear. It tells the story of Jane Austen who is a vampire running a bookstore in upstate New York. Yes, you read correctly, Jane Austen is a vampire. All I can say is - Lord Byron really is "mad, bad, and dangerous to know." The premise of the story is that Jane Austen runs a small bookstore, is trying to deal with a love life, AND with getting her newest novel published - a novel that has been rejected 116 time! It is really a fabulous book, and I encourage everyone to read it.

Maybe I am a Janeite. What do you think?