A Victorian Reading Challenge

I've decided to do another reading challenge in 2013; a Victorian one. I was inspired by this blog:href="http://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/personal-victorian-challenge.html">

I'm glad to be doing this challenge as it will delve into my TBR stack. Out of the twelve books, I own ten of them. I've always loved this period in literature. And many beautiful movies have been made from the books; many of Thomas Hardy's, one of my favorites.

So here's the list:

1. Middlemarch-George Eliot
2. The Small House at Allington-Anthony Trollope
3. Tess of the D'urbervilles-Thomas Hardy
4. The Woman in White-Wilkie Collins
5. The Way of All Flesh-Samuel Butler
6. The Cloister and the Hearth-Charles Reade
7. The Soul of Man-Oscar Wilde
8. The Story of the Amulet-E. Nesbit
9. At the Back of the North Wind-George MacDonald
10. Lady Audley's Secret-M.E. Braddon
11. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-Robert Louis Stevenson
12. Cranford-Elizabeth Gaskell

There are many more I could have added, but I really wanted to read what I already have.

Do you have a favorite Victorian author? Mine are Trollope, Hardy, and the Brontes. I didn't include the Brontes in my list, even though I own all their works, because I've read lots of their books and wanted to try new authors. I could have listed Charles Dickens also. I may have to read more than twelve this year or have another Victorian challenge next year!

Book Related Stuff

This blog is so cool! It shows people reading in subways and the names of their books. I was surprised by the depth of their reading materials; lots of philosophy and other weighty matters.

Don't you just love this poster? Our children were always putting on plays and dressing up based on the characters in whatever they were reading at the time. We have the cutest videos of their antics! They did it all themselves. All I did was provide the books and costumes.

I'm finishing up an audio book today that I've really enjoyed, Mark Twain's A TRAMP ABROAD. He's a hoot. I love the story he tells about trying to use a glacier as a mode of conveyance. He figured out at their present rate of travel, they would arrive at their destination in the year 2046! So he decides that a glacier isn't a very efficient mode of transportation. I laughed my way all through the book.

I'm aiming to finish up QUEEN LUCIA by E.F. Benson by Saturday night. Here's another really funny book. I've already watched the Mapp and Lucia series from Netflix, so I have the characters in my head. Usually this isn't a good thing, but in this case it adds to my enjoyment of the book. Thanks, Angie! You always told me how good they were and you were right! I'm going to read them all.

Here's the link for the blog above: http://undergroundnewyorkpubliclibrary.com/About

Fun With Postcards

I'm participating in a postcard art swap. Here's how it works. You send in five postcards with your artwork on it. They can all be the same or five different ones. I'm sending in five different ones. It's easy to do since my medium is photography.

When the coordinator gets everyone's art, she mails our postcards to other participating artists so we receive five new postcards from around the world and one from the coordinator (she's an artist, too). That means we'll be getting six in all. I can't wait to see where they come from and what medium the artists will be using.

The clever person who thought of this idea is Kat Sloma. Her blog is Kat Eye Studio. I can't get the link to work, but you can look it up on Google. Sorry! Her blog has some good ideas for photography. She's generous and likes to help people. Check her out!

A Watercolor Inspired by the Sea

My latest watercolor painting was inspired by photos from the Sea Cottage blog. You can see her photos here: http://seacottage.blogspot.com/2012/03/seaside-covesea-and-sky.html

Next I want to try one with the rocks, sand, and sea. It'll be more of a challenge. I'm trying to get braver and use more vivid colors. This one is 8x11.

Love To My Blogger Buddies

I've been re-reading through some of my old blog posts and the comments that followed, and I'm struck by the wisdom and wit of so many of you.

So I want to say with a loud voice, "I love ya'll! Your comments have meant more to me than you've known, because lots of times I don't respond (bad me).

You've challenged, chastised, and cheered me up immensely. I wish I could meet all of you like I met Pom Pom when we were visiting Colorado in 2010. I know she has many, many blog followers, so if you're ever in Colorado, look her up. You'll be SO glad you did. I want to be her next door neighbor, and every time this overly-introspective, morose spirit of mine starts its downward spiral, she'd be there with a cup of tea to pull me back out.

Thanks to all of you who read my feeble whinings and love me anyway. You're loved back a hundred times over.

Great Book Title!

Will Jesus Buy Me a Doublewide? ‘Cause I need More Room for My Plasma TV- Karen Spears Zacharias

I was reading Billy Coffey's blog and saw that he's coming out with a new book. You know on the back of the book where different people make recommendations? Well, this woman, Karen Spears Zacharias, wrote one. And you know how it always tells something about the reviewer, as in what she's written, if she's a speaker, if she's a doctor, etc.?

Well, Ms. Zacharias wrote the above book. What a hoot! I LOVE that title. Anyone read it? I may have to read it just because the title is so great!