Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens 1812-1870
Illustrated by Roberto Innocenti
1990


BACK OF THE BOOK: A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.

THOUGHTS: I am sure most people have seen the movie (with people or Disney characters or the Muppets), however they just don’t compare to the book. I probably would never have read this book if it hadn’t have been on the list for book club. I just figured that I knew the story too well, and wouldn’t enjoy reading it since I had seen all the movies. Well, I was wrong. I should have taken my own advice and remembered the book is always better than the movie. In this book I had two favorite parts that the movies never expressed.

1) The narrator. He was funny! I wouldn’t have guessed that there would be a lot of humor in this book, but the narrator will randomly go off on a tangent that may not create “laugh-out-loud” type humor, but funny nonetheless. For example the first page is devoted to talking mostly about doornails.

2) The writing. There is a reason all Dickens books are a classics. The wording and the style of writing are amazing. This was writing that was meant to be read out loud and to be heard. One of the paragraphs that I had to just stop and read out loud (even though Owen gave me some odd looks) goes as follows: “Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine alter here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at they command: for this is thy dominion! But of the loved, revered, and honoured head, thou canst not turn one hair to thy dread purposes, or make on feature odious. It is not that the hand is heavy and will fall down when released; it is not that the heart and pulse are still; but that the hand WAS open, generous, and true; the heart brave, warm, and tender; and the pulse a man’s. Strike, Shadow, strike! And see his good deeds springing from the wound, to sow the world with life immortal!” People just don’t write like this any more. I can picture someone upon the book’s first publication sitting down with their family around the fire, probably after diner, reading this and putting so much meaning and expression into the words that the rest of the family just couldn’t help but be drawn into it. Carson would never want me to read out loud to him, but someday I plan on reading this book to my children.

ENDING: If you’ve seen the movie you know how it ends and for once Hollywood didn’t deviate too far. There were some differences that I had been in ignorance of until this reading. Scrooge never actually goes to see Bob Cratchits at the end. Most of the movies show him popping into the house on Christmas Day, but Scrooge waits until the next day to talk to him. It wasn’t anything big – just different. The other thing that wasn’t at the ending, but was different was the second spirit, Christmas Present. In that section Scrooge alludes to the spirit being God or Christ. The spirit denies it, but it is never resolved in Scrooge’s mind. It was just a little surprising that that would be thrown in there. This is one thing I am glad the movies left out because it didn’t need to be in there and it wasn’t Christ so I guess it kept the movies simpler and without the possibility of degrading the Lord. The other thing that was better about the book’s ending as compared to the movies’ endings was because of the passion behind the writing the climax was so much more exhilarating.

Warrior Princess

Frewin Jones
2009

BACK OF THE BOOK: It takes just a moment for fifteen-year-old Branwen’s life to change forever. In the blink of an eye the Saxons attack and her brother is killed. Almost as quickly, she is sent away from her home to a neighboring stronghold where she’ll be safe from harm. Now Branwen lives as a princess should – surrounded by exquisite things and lavish quarters. But deep down remains the soul of a warrior.
Just when Branwen is sure she has been pushed to her limits, a chance encounter with a mystical woman in white forces her to question everything – and everyone – around her. With no time to lose, Branwen must make a choice: continue in the path her parents intended for her…or step into the role of true Warrior Princess.

THOUGHTS: I just want to warn you from the start that it turns out this book has a sequel. I don’t know that going into it and was a little disappointed when I found out. I was really hoping for just one book, but I seem to be drawn to series lately – even without my knowing it. Despite that, this book turned out to be pretty good. It was a little hard to get into right at the first, but it had one of my three things I like about a book – a main character dies right at the beginning. I know that sounds slightly morbid, but I think it means there is going to be action the whole way through. It was true with this book. Occasionally there were parts that didn’t seem quite right – like they needed just a little more information or background for it to work, but it wasn’t bad. I do believe I will read the second book when it comes out, but I won’t be holding my breath for it.

ENDING: As I’ve stated it has a sequel so the ending isn’t complete. That was annoying. It was only obvious that she would choose to go with Rhiannon of the Spring so I don’t know why she waited until the end to say yes. I am hoping Iwan (although he is a jerk) will be in the second book and that they will get together. I think he is going to turn out to be a nice guy.

The Princess and the Bear

Mette Ivie Harrison
2009

BACK OF BOOK: He was once a king, turned into a bear as punishment for his cruel and selfish deeds.
She was once a princess, now living in the form of a hound.
Wary companions, they are sent – in human form – back to a time when magic went terribly astray. Together they must right the wrongs caused by this devastating power – if only they can find a way to trust each other.
But even as each becomes aware of an ever-growing attraction, the stakes are rising and they must find a way to eliminate this evil force – or risk losing each other forever.

THOUGHTS: That jacket cover sounds way better than the book really was. I realize that it was a fantasy, but it was so far out there that it couldn’t even come close to believable. Book one, The Princess and the Hound, was so much better. I recommended that one to people, but I would never tell anyone to read this one. In fact, I wouldn’t even want to read another one of her books this was so bad. It was horrible writing and a fairly lame plot. Whoever wrote the jacket should have been the one writing this book because they were a better writer than her. Plus, you are left hanging wondering what happened to Prince George (who was stabbed at the beginning of the book). We never find out if he lives or not. And then Chala, who based on the time line of the book should be an old woman at the end, is told she will have children. This book felt like a set up for another story she wanted to write. It felt rushed and not thought through. Basically I think she was more worried about making money and getting to the third book (which I will never read) than she was about writing a good book.

A Bride in the Bargin

By Deeanne Gist 2009

BACK OF THE BOOK:
in 1860's Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.
Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could follow him to Seattle, and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride--one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the Territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.
Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape fromt he aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook--not a bride. When she's handed over to Enton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before he loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

THOUGHTS:
This book was really funny. When they first go to the church and Anna thinks Joe is just really religious untill the preacher starts the wedding vows had me laughing out loud. The one problem I had with the book was near the end when the main problem is resolved and three new ones pop up. There were only fifty pages left and i didn't see how it could all get fixed without a sequal. Luckily, the problems were fixed and i am not waiting for the next book to see how it ends. (Sometimes i like sequals, but i really like things to be resolved before i move on to a new book.)

Purpose

The purpose of this blog is for me to talk about my feelings on books i've read. I have a wonderful book group, but that only happens once a month and i definately read more books than that. So i decided to create this blog to serve my own purposes and have an outlet for my thoughts. If you have thoughts about the books i've read please feel free to comment too.