Reading/Writing
I read two books during the trip to Ireland:
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, seemed like it would be a fun, light read. Even with the fact that it had been made into a film, I did not know much about the story until I started reading it. And what could be more fun than reading a character from a beloved book into reality, right? Wrong. But I won't give away any more plot details.
What I liked about this book is how unassuming the heroine is and how subtle her transformation is. I could identify strongly with Meggie's love of books and carrying around her favorites. I saw someone else mention that they had difficulty with the sense of constant peril in the book, but strangely that didn't bother me at all. There are some really memorable characters in there as well, but I found myself rooting for Elinor. I love plucky old women! There are two sequels, too, that I want to check out.
The other book I read, and all in one go on the plane ride home, was The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. This is such a great story. I want to be Bod's friend. He is SUCH a great kid. The story itself is bittersweet, but there is also a tragic mystery that unfolds with just the right amount of suspense. A quick read, but a really enjoyable one.
In other reading news, I came across a reference to a brand new magazine: HerStoria which proposes to explore history from a female perspective. It's based in the UK and only one issue has been published. It's meant to be quarterly, though. I've ordered the inaugural issue and the next one. I'll let you know what I think when it arrives.
And, finally, in writing news, I read a fabulous article in Newsweek today. The Author's Roundtable interviewed six authors (Lawrence Block, Susan Orlean, Kurt Andersen, Annette Gordon-Reed, Robert Caro, Elizabeth Strout) on their experiences as authors. There were some really interesting insights about the process of writing.
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, seemed like it would be a fun, light read. Even with the fact that it had been made into a film, I did not know much about the story until I started reading it. And what could be more fun than reading a character from a beloved book into reality, right? Wrong. But I won't give away any more plot details.
What I liked about this book is how unassuming the heroine is and how subtle her transformation is. I could identify strongly with Meggie's love of books and carrying around her favorites. I saw someone else mention that they had difficulty with the sense of constant peril in the book, but strangely that didn't bother me at all. There are some really memorable characters in there as well, but I found myself rooting for Elinor. I love plucky old women! There are two sequels, too, that I want to check out.
The other book I read, and all in one go on the plane ride home, was The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. This is such a great story. I want to be Bod's friend. He is SUCH a great kid. The story itself is bittersweet, but there is also a tragic mystery that unfolds with just the right amount of suspense. A quick read, but a really enjoyable one.
In other reading news, I came across a reference to a brand new magazine: HerStoria which proposes to explore history from a female perspective. It's based in the UK and only one issue has been published. It's meant to be quarterly, though. I've ordered the inaugural issue and the next one. I'll let you know what I think when it arrives.
And, finally, in writing news, I read a fabulous article in Newsweek today. The Author's Roundtable interviewed six authors (Lawrence Block, Susan Orlean, Kurt Andersen, Annette Gordon-Reed, Robert Caro, Elizabeth Strout) on their experiences as authors. There were some really interesting insights about the process of writing.