As I shared last month, I'm trying to focus on reading more books offline (as opposed to digital copies) and I'm also challenging myself to read some new books since it's very easy for me to get sucked back into old favorites! So every month I'll be doing a post where I share my reading list; it helps keep me accountable to my goals and gives me a record of what I actually read since I almost never remember a few months later what I had been reading before! And if you'd like to join in and read along with me you're more than welcome to--I'm sure these books will be overlapping in many a post since I'm back to my adolescent habit of always having a book in my handbag! I'm even thinking of making another little hashtag on Instagram for other bookwyrms like myself so we can share books and where we're finding the time to turn a few pages.Anne of Avonlea: I enjoyed my re-read of Anne of Green Gables so much I couldn't resist picking up the next in that series for this month. After Green Gables there are really so many adoring things I'd like to say about the character of Anne and L.M. Montgomery; it's hard to even know where to begin. I suppose the biggest compliment to the author is simply that I couldn't put it down and actually read it twice (back to back) last month since I wanted to savor a few of my favorite moments a second time; I often do that when I enjoy a book. Because when I like a book I tend to burn through it and the joy it brings becomes fleeting since I only got to have it for a day or two, so I read it again straight away and try to string that pleasure out! Anyway, now I'm on to Avonlea and pretty soon I'm sure I'll be burning through Anne of the Island and then Anne's House of Dreams...
The Portrait of a Lady: There's something about September that has me in the mood for classic novels; the kind you would be "forced" to read in school. Maybe it is that school is starting up again, like Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail waxing poetic about the fall and how it makes him want to buy school supplies and send "a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils." So for my big classic this month I chose this novel by Henry James.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: I'm planning on reading more classic/original horror and science fiction in October (it just seems a fitting time for it), but I couldn't resist attempting to squeeze this classic novel into September. I'm someone who loves science fiction, but hasn't actually read some of the early pioneers of that genre, like Jules Verne. I've always worried Jules Verne would be a bit too "wordy" or dated (I've also just heard bad things about how his novels are translated to English), but I'm hoping it will beat my expectations! Anyways, there's books you just read for fun or pleasure and some you read to hopefully expand your mind a bit or understand some of the roots of genre you really enjoy.
Brooklyn: Ever since I first saw the film, I've wanted to pick up this book but never got around to it until now. It's a very poignant story for me since the character in the book leaves her home of Ireland for new opportunities in America and I've sort of done the reverse, leaving my home in the States to come here. I'm looking forward to reading about Eilis's experiences both in small town Ireland and then in Brooklyn as written by Irish author Colm Toibin--and I'll have someone close at hand whenever I wonder how one of those "funny" Irish names is pronounced!
CONVERSATION