It's April!

I have officially started reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim for the month of April, in the hopes that some of the enchantment will slip into my hectic life. It's lovely, as usual. (I find it a little sad that 'lovely' is the only word I have to describe it, but it really is lovely!) I'm probably going to wrap up the month by watching the movie version, which was wonderfully done!

Life is hectic, but if I take a little time to step back and breathe, I find peace once in a while. The end is in sight! Soon my semester will be over and then summer will start! (I will be doing two summer courses, but I'm hoping the workload will be a lot lighter.)

I went to see The Hunger Games last week, and I really enjoyed it. It was violent, but I was expecting that. What I really liked about it was that the main character was a girl who didn't wear skimpy clothing in order to get noticed. She was strong and kind and wore baggy clothing. I preferred the book (but really, don't we usually?), but I have to say the movie was a very close second. If you have read and liked the book, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the film.

Let's see...what else? Oh yes! I read The Twits by Roald Dahl, which was very adorable.  And I discovered a book by A. A. Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh!  I was browsing my favourite used bookstore and saw it on display...so I brought it home.  It was so good!  And here was ignorant little me, not even knowing A. A. Milne ever really wrote anything besides Winnie the Pooh!  How embarrassing.

The book was called The Sunny Side: Short Stories and Poems for Proper Grown-Ups.  Now, I wasn't sure whether I really classify as a "Proper Grown-Up", but being 20 now, I decided that I technically did.   It was crammed with little poems and short stories that were simply delightful.  It was light and sweet, and is now patiently waiting on my shelf until I need to read it again.

I've also started to read The Lord of the Rings again...long story.

Long story for those of you who want to hear/read it:  My dad used to read them aloud to us, so I've known the story ever since I can remember.  Two summers ago, I decided I should probably read them for myself, so I proceeded to read most of The Fellowship of the Ring in one week.  Result: Tolkien overload.  It has taken me about two years to finally pick them up again.

I'm reading The Two Towers now, but I can't wait until Faramir makes his appearance.  He's wonderful.

Well, that's all for now, friends!  I'm off to read Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox in bed before I fall asleep.

Hello Everyone!

Just a note to say, yes, I'm still alive!  I have recently been bombarded with assignments and homework, so my life is limited.

I have been having a ball on Tumblr, however.  It is very addictive.

As to what has been happening recently; I went on site-visits for my library course and was able to see some libraries that are not open to the public, one of which in particular was beautiful...but I can't say where it was for security reasons.  I felt very important, going through doors that had gold plaques saying "No Public Admittance"!

I have discovered some TV shows that I have grown quite attached to, although I am normally not one to like TV.  Doctor Who being one, Robin Hood BBC being the other.  There are (of course) some aspects of them that don't quite sit right - Robin Hood is mainly wonderful, but as I was watching Doctor Who (Doctor Nine Season) some things came up that I was very unhappy about.  Ah well.  I take it with a pinch of good sense.

The weather out here has been warming up, and my spirits seem to be escalating as the end of the semester is in sight!  I somehow know I'll be able to see all this craziness through!

I have been reading when and wherever I can, although I have not had time to blog my findings on my other blog, The Perfect Book.  Hopefully I'll be able to catch up when I have some free time!

I also hope to learn to play this on my piano during the summer:



It's such a happy ragtime!

Also, I have plans to read The Enchanted April for April. It's such a lovely book!

Well, that's all for now!  If I don't have time to write more later, I'll be thinking of you!

Lovely Discovery (and New Favourite Book)

A while ago, a dear friend of mine (you know who you are :) ) recommended that I read a book she particularly liked.  I'd never heard of it before, but it sounded lovely, so I searched the library for it. I ordered it in through Inter Library Loan, but it would be ages before I actually got to read it.  So I did a little more searching and discovered a movie version of it, which I checked out of the library and watched at home.  I wasn't disappointed.  It was such a beautiful, calming film that I left it feeling very relaxed and uplifted.

After watching it, I desperately wanted to read the original book.  So I resorted to Librivox and downloaded it in audio version.  Over the next few weeks, I listened to it in my free time; which was often just the time before I fell asleep.  I fell in love with the storyline and the characters, enjoyed the lyrical style of the writing, and decided that I need to rent a castle in Italy someday.

But before I run away with myself, in case any of you are not yet familiar with the story, I'll fill you in.  It begins in London; rainy, miserable London.  One poor soul, a Mrs. Wilkins (who dislikes her last name and remarks that it has an end 'like the upward curve of a pugdog's tail.') is especially miserable.  But then she glimpses light at the end of this sad tunnel in the form of an advertisement in the paper.  A small medieval Italian Castle is to be let in Italy for those who 'appreciate Wistaria and Sunshine'.  She recruits another lady from her church, Mrs. Arbuthnot, and together they rent the villa and find two other ladies to join them.  In Italy, they each discover Paradise in their own way.

I won't spoil the ending, but I will say this; I have a new favourite book.  I bought it from Amazon and it was shipped today!  It has a place waiting on my shelves.

There is one thing that I want to mention, in between all my praise.  I didn't agree with some of the characters' ideas about religion and being good.  For example, Mrs. Wilkins exclaims to Mrs. Arbuthnot that she thinks they are miserable because they'd been good for so long.  This is completely untrue; if you really had been good, you would be happy.  Other than that, I would recommend this to any romantic.  From one romantic to another; you will love it.