Between the Covers with Stephany

Nook Deals

2011-07-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

If you have a Nook, you might be interested in this: Barnes & Noble is offering almost 60 e-books at a low price for the summer. It is a very eclectic list, including the Boxcar Children, Max Lucado, and lots of novels. By the way, if you have a Kindle instead of a Nook, check the Amazon site, because a lot of times the low prices come from the publishers and they offer it in all e-book formats. Happy reading!

Smokin' Seventeen

2011-07-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

For the first time, I bought a Janet Evanovich in an e-book format rather than an old-fashioned book with pages. Because I own actual books for the rest of the series, and because I am a little OCD, I will probably pick up a hard copy of this one when it hits the bargain bin.

I really liked this book. Janet Evanovich makes me laugh. Rarely does a Stephanie Plum novel disappoint me (with the possible exception of #16). The plots in the series are similar and the antics of the characters are familiar from one book to the next, but each one still seems fresh to me. If you make me laugh, I will be your fan forever, and these books make me laugh. Thank you Janet Evanovich for Stephanie Plum.

In Smokin' Seventeen, Stephanie's mom, anxious for her to get married, gets tired of waiting for Stephanie to choose Ranger or Morelli and takes matters in her own hands by setting Stephanie up with a man that she considers good marriage material. Mayhem ensues.

Speaking of Ranger and Morelli, how is it that Janet Evanovich writes these two characters in such a way that I am just as torn as Stephanie? The novel ends with (spoiler alert!) Stephanie finally making her choice, although we have to wait until Explosive Eighteen to find out who is her soulmate. Somehow I think Janet Evanovich will find a way to keep us hanging. Would we really want Stephanie to make her choice anyway?

Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America

2011-07-01T09:24:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be reading Ann Coulter's latest book, Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America. Ann writes with an intelligence and biting wit, and I am unabashedly, unreservedly a fan. I recommend any of her books...they all make me think, and this one is opening my eyes in a new way to some of the tactics used by the left and how they truly are endangering the American way of life.

Largehearted Boy: 2011 Online Summer Reading Lists

2011-07-01T09:03:00.000-05:00

I found this compilation of reading lists. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

Largehearted Boy: 2011 Online Summer Reading Lists

My Next Book Purchace

2011-04-26T15:47:00.000-05:00

I just saw a book I have to have. This will definitely be my next purchase. I know nearly nothing about it, but after seeing the title and reading a charming interview with the author, I need to read it. It is being released on April 28 and I can't wait! In case you can't read it on this small picture, it is called Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz (who is a self-described Jewish kid from New York).

Movie Review: Atlas Shrugged

2011-04-17T15:52:00.000-05:00

I went to see Atlas Shrugged: Part I, and one of my Facebook friends asked me for a critique. I decided to copy and paste over to here. So, for what it's worth, here are my thoughts: I loved it. It exceeded my expectations. The owner of the movie rights self-financed and it was done on a very low budget, but it doesn't look like it at all. (A number of other viewers heartily disagree with me on this, but I stand by what I said). The cinematography was beautiful. The movie nearly perfectly captured the essence of Part I of the book. I couldn't believe how quickly the two hours passed. At times the dialogue was a little clunky, but the book is also that way. The man behind the movie couldn't get a distributor, so he did that himself too. It only opened in 250 theaters Friday, and it was kind of a miracle (wrought by much hard work) that he had that many. I think it's going to grow, though. Our (completely full) theater broke out in applause when it was over. Part II coming April 15, 2012 and Part III (you guessed it) April 15, 2013. Not looking for any Oscars, though. The Hollywood crowd will not like the politics.

Recent and Current Reads

2011-03-02T15:39:00.007-06:00

I apologize for not posting in a long time, but our internet has been down for about three weeks (long, boring story), but it's back, so here is update of my recent and current reading activity:

Recent Reads:

Two books by Kansas author Nancy Pickard: The Scent of Rain and Lightning: A Novel and The Virgin of Small Plains: A Novel. It's been awhile since I read them, so they are not fresh enough in my memory to do a full review, but I do know that I like and recommend them. They are both mysteries. Nancy Pickard has been writing mysteries for many years, and she has really grown and matured as an author since her Jenny Cain days.

Two by Georgette Heyer: False Colours and The Talisman Ring, delightful as always. I am almost through all the Regency romances by Georgette Heyer. What am I going to do when I've finished the last one? Start over, probably. These are the most wonderful, cheerful, funny and clean books. I am so thankful to my friend Sharon for insisting that if I liked Jane Austen I would like Georgette Heyer.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, another Kansas author and this year's Newberry Medal winner. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery/coming-of-age tale set in the fictional town of Manifest, Kansas. Abilene Tucker is the delightful heroine of this novel set in 1936, with a parallel story line in 1918, unveiled in newspaper clippings, letters, and the storytelling of the mysterious Miss Sadie, as Abilene works to figure out the relationship between Ned Gillen and Jinx and what they have to do with the past of her father, Gideon Tucker. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition by Laurie Halse Anderson. Novel about the aftermath of a rape of a young girl at a party. Tough read, but important book.

Currently Reading:

This is my second time through Ayn Rand's masterpiece about John Galt, the man who said he "would stop the motor of the world, and did." I am reading this in preparation of the movie Atlas Shrugged: Part I, which is being released (appropriately) on April 15. If you believe that excessive government, taxes and regulation are damaging to our culture and society, but have a hard time articulating your argument, this is the book for you. "Who is John Galt?"

I am reading the Dragonbreath series with the very enthusiastic Colin right now. This is the first series of books that has really captured my 6-year-old's imagination. Thanks to my friend, Wendy, for the recommendation.

Last, but not least, these are the books I'm reading in conjunction with my Sunday School class and my Tuesday morning Bible study. We are studying Lewis's Mere Christianity (Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Paperback - Feb. 6, 2001)) during Sunday School. This book was originally given as a series of radio broadcasts, it addresses the central issues of Christianity, building a solid case for why this is the one true faith.

I have been leading a Tuesday morning Bible Study and we are currently studying Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy. This is my second time to do this study, but my first time leading it. Beth Moore is an awesome teacher and through this workbook and the video sessions that are part of the study, I have learned about the book of Daniel in a rich and deep way and the lessons will stay with me for a lifetime.

Why Conservatives Should Love Chuck - By Ray Keating - The Corner - National Review Online

2011-01-17T17:34:00.000-06:00

Why Conservatives Should Love Chuck - By Ray Keating - The Corner - National Review Online

Lost in a Good Book

2011-01-11T15:58:00.001-06:00

I am currently reading a mystery that is so good that I got wrapped up in it and didn't get my blog changed to post it as my "currently reading" book until I was more than half done with it. It is called The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard. Pickard is a Kansas author who writes the Jenny Cain mystery series. I like the Jenny Cain books, but this one is better. Pickard has matured over the years and this book has richness and depth which the Jenny Cain books do not. The Virgin of Small Plains is more like true literature than a light quick-read mystery (not that there is anything wrong with light books). I am reading this on my Nook Color and I only miss the smell of the paper pages a little. A review will (hopefully) be forthcoming.

Next up for me: The Scent of Rain and Lightning, also a Pickard book, and a recent choice by Barnes & Noble as one of their recommended selections.

Newberry and Caldecott Awards Announced

2011-01-11T15:37:00.002-06:00

Newberry Award:

I get so excited every year when the Newberry Award is announced. This medal is given every year by the American Library Association "to the author of the year's most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." My mom taught 5th grade for more than 25 years and she always told me that you can't go wrong with a Newberry book. I was delighted when I learned that this year's winner is both written by a Kansas author and set in Kansas. It is Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. I haven't read it yet, but am looking forward to it. It is set during the depression with another story/mystery from World War I interwoven. Here are links to this year's winner and the Honor Books (runners up):

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman

One Crazy Summer by Rita Willimas-Garcia

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

Caldecott Medal:

The Caldecott Medal is given each year by the ALA to the most deserving picture book. This year's winner is A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead. Below are links to it the Honor Books.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill

What Stephany Read in 2010

2010-12-30T12:31:00.001-06:00

The Foundling by Georgette Heyer

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

This is the most recent Newberry Winner. If you liked A Wrinkle in Time, you will like this. In fact, you should probably re-read A Wrinkle in Time before you read this.

The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

I finally read Herriot's books after my grandmother passed away when I heard how much she had loved them and how her copies were dog-eared and worn out. What took me so long? So good.

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Not my favorite of the year.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley

Recommended to me by my good friend Heather.

The Dante Club: A Novel by Matthew Pearl

Great literary mystery recommended to me by my Aunt I.B. Fictionalized account of the process of Longfellow's translation of Dante's Inferno with Longfellow and other real historical figures as characters in the novel.

The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer

Katherine Wentworth by D.E. Stevenson

The Marriage of Katherine by D.E. Stevenson

Gerald and Elizabeth by D.E. Stevenson

The House Of The Deer by D.E. Stevenson

The English Air by D.E. Stevenson (no image available)

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander has grrl power!

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer

Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich

Liked it, but didn't love it...#15 was so funny, that it must have been hard to follow it up with the next one.

Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer

Very romantic, swashbuckling story.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Disturbing, but eerily romantic.

Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer

Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer

Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Another dystopian novel, recommended to me by my son Quinn. God bless teachers who read aloud to their classes.

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

One of Heyer's most delightful and engaging heroines.

Sylvester: or The Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer

Some say this is Heyer's novel that most closely resembles Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed it, but it is not a strict re-telling of P&P.

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

Hilarious! "Fool" as hero/smartest guy in the room...like Pudd'nhead Wilson or The Scarlet Pimpernel. Pat and I love this motif in stories.

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins.

I can't say enough good things about this series.

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer

Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Beautiful prose, but somewhat disappointing story. I thought she should have let the first one stand alone with no sequel.

Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer

Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer

Sweet story about two young people who get married too young (or at least immature) and for all the wrong reasons, but grow up together and into love.

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

Ape House: A Novel by Sara Gruen

Not as good as Water for Elephants, but worth reading.

A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer

Not as happy a book as the rest of the Regency romances, but I liked it. I choose to think that although the hero and heroine do not share a strong romantic bond, they find something equally worthwhile in a deep affection and friendship that develops into love.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (audiobook)

I had read this book several years ago (I found it before Oprah!) and liked it a lot, so it was fun to revisit it in audio form while I was driving my car.

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (audiobook)

I got a great deal from iTunes on audio versions of The Chronicles of Narnia. So far we (the boys and I when we are in the car) have listened to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; and are halfway through The Silver Chair. Yes, I do think that you should read them in publication order, not in Narnian chronological order.

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part Two

2010-12-15T09:00:00.010-06:00

I found a few more things that I thought would be good gifts for the readers in your life.

4. First, another journal. I don't have this one, but it popped up on Amazon as a suggestion for something I might like, and I do! I don't own it, but added it to my Amazon wish list. It has many reading suggestions and book lists that the previously discussed journal has as well as several other lists like the Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Target lists, and book club suggestions. It also has charts to track what you've read, what you want to read, and how much you liked what you've read.

5. Pentel Automatic Crayon Pencil. Don't let the word "crayon" throw you. This is an awesome dry highlighter, perfect for those of us who like to mark up our Bibles, first because you have eight colors all in one writing instrument which is handy if you have a system for highlighting in different colors and secondly, because this is a dry highlighter that doesn't bleed through thin Bible pages. The texture of the leads falls somewhere between colored pencils and crayons. My pastor's wife first told me about this, and I always carry one with my Bible now. My three sons thought that my multi-colored highlighter was so cool that they each wanted one of their own and the two younger ones use theirs to do art projects. You can buy refills at Amazon, and the leads are very easy to exchange so if you want to have more than the standard eight colors on hand, it is no problem.

6. Clothing. I have enough shirts and sweatshirts about books that it could comprise my whole wardrobe if I wanted. In other words, I could wear one every day of the week and not have to do laundry any more often than usual. I love my book shirts. Amazon has a few like the one pictured here, but there are other sites that have a better selection. Check out Signals (I particularly like the Atlas Shrugged sweatshirt because I particularly like Atlas Shrugged) and its sister company Wireless. I also really like the Cafe Press site. They not only have clothing, but many other gifts, decorations and trinkets to suit just about any interest. Search "reading," "books," or even "Jane Austen" and you will come up with more gift ideas than you know what to do with.

7. Books! No list of gifts for book lovers would be complete without actual books. This year's best bets are two trilogies: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (a Young Adult dystopian series, but good for adults too)
and Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy (not a gentle read, my friends, but a nail-biting thriller featuring a tough-as-nails heroine that you love to love even though you probably would not be friends with her outside the pages of these books).

Happy shopping!

Gifts for Book Lovers

2010-12-06T09:16:00.001-06:00

I love reading other people's lists about what to buy the book lover in your life during the Christmas season, so I thought I would do some checking around and find some things that I personally would recommend. Here we go:

1. Reading Journals. One day this past year the weirdest thing happened to me. I received two reading journals from two completely different sets of people in my life, and it wasn't Christmas or my birthday. Believe me, I felt loved.

This one is called Reading Journal: For Book Lovers. My two aunts, Amy and Susie (aside: these are the wonderful women who introduced me to Jane Austen...I will be forever grateful), gave this to me because they know that reading is the passion of my life. It is a nice little hardback with many pages to list individual books you have read. It actually gives you two pages per book, including space for the title, author, rating, category, date started and finished, notes about the book and what subjects that book inspired you to learn about. Then, randomly through the journal are pages for such things as favorite authors, books, children's books, places to read, and quotes from books. There are also several other pages for various book trivia related specifically to you. This includes such things as a page of literary superlatives (books that made me laugh the most, books that made me cry, characters I'd most want to be, places in books I would want to visit, etc.), a flow chart mapping how one book lead to others, literary face-offs (If I were an Austen heroine I'd be...; If I were a literary villain I'd be..., etc.), and several others. My favorite aspect of this particular journal, though, is that there are several book lists in the back with boxes you can check off as you read the books. These lists include several lists of awards like Pulitzer Prize Winners and Man Booker Prize Winners, as well as others; The Modern Library: 100 Best Novels; The Readers' List; BBC Top 100 Reads; Time Magazine Top 100 Novels; Oprah's Book Club Picks; and genre lists including Adventure favorites, Epic Novel favorites, Gothic/Horror favorites, Graphic Novel favorites, International favorites, Mystery/Detective favorites, as well as Romance, Science Fiction, and Spy Novels favorites. Despite the length of this blog entry, I have not listed everything included. I love this little book.

My Best-Friend-Since-Kindergarten gave me this journal. I have used it so much. It has three general sections: Books to Read, Favorite Books and Passages, and Books Borrowed and Lent. I constantly have books and DVD's lent out, and this journal has been invaluable in helping me keep track. Thanks, Wendy! I would recommend this journal for the person who is creative and needs a little less guidance in figuring out what to read and how to write about books, or who just wants to generally keep track.

There are many other journals about books out there, and almost any would be good for the reader in your life. I linked to these two because I happen to be familiar with them and like them both a lot.

2. Books about books. I have so many books about books, that I could not begin to list them all, so I thought I would highlight my two favorites, Book Lust and More Book Lust, both by Nancy Pearl. (I want to assure those of you that know me personally that these books are not about lustful books. They are about lust for books). These books are permanent residents of my night stand. Nancy Pearl is a librarian-cum-NPR commentator-cum-literature professor who authored/compiled these charming little books organized into categories you will never see anywhere else. If there is a genre within genre within genre that you read, you will find it in her tables of contents. Some examples of her categories of books include American History (a list of fiction and a list of nonfiction); A Dickens of a Tale; First Novels; Humor; I Love a Mystery; 100 Good Reads, Decade by Decade; Fiction for Foodies; Winston Churchill (various biographies); Florida Fiction; You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover; Russian Heavies; King Arthur; A...My Name is Alice; and I could go on and on. Between the two books she has over 200 categories, so if you are casting about for your next read, if you have these two books handy, you will be able to find something that interests you. Amongst the categories of books, she also lists various authors that are "Too Good to Miss." When you turn to one of these sections in her books, you will find a brief description of the author's writing, as well as a list of his or her works. Examples of authors that are too good to miss are P.G. Wodehouse, Lee Child, Ian McEwan, Carol Shields, and Iris Murcoch, among many others.

3. Kindle or NOOK (or iPad). I'll let you do your research...WiFi or 3G, Color or E Ink...so many choices.

I actually just bought a NOOK color and I am mostly happy with it, although, I can certainly see the advantages of going with a Kindle. I bought the NOOK Color because of the color touch screen and because so far this is the only eReader that is backlit. I have found several disadvantages, though. Since it is a color screen, it does not have the amazing eInk and will be very difficult to read outside. It is also only WiFi...no 3G model yet, so I can only get my books instantly if I am in a WiFi Hotspot, and since we don't have WiFi at our house yet, this is a problem. When I bought it I thought I would be able to sync it to the computer with the included USB cable, but so far this is not possible. The USB cable is only for adding pictures, music, and I think short videos to the NOOK. I am hoping that they have a software update that allows you to sync from the website, as I'm told by a friend this is possible on the regular NOOK.

This is the wave of the future, folks, and even though I will never be completely without books with paper pages (Heaven forbid!), I am excited that I will be able to store so many books without taking up so much space in the house. Do you think they will ever be able to invent a NOOK or Kindle with that new book smell, though?

By the way, don't buy the NOOK products through these Amazon links. Buy them from Barnes and Noble. Amazon has these prices jacked up way higher than they are at B&N because NOOK is the Kindle's biggest competitor.

More to come soon...

Book Review: Ape House by Sara Gruen

2010-11-12T19:42:00.002-06:00

I just finished Ape House, the much anticipated follow up to Water for Elephants, which was a book that I highly enjoyed and is one of the first things I recommend when friends or family ask me what they should read. Unfortunately, almost everyone I know has now read Water for Elephants, so I pretty much can't suggest it anymore. All my friends to whom I lent it or at least suggested it ("all save one," to borrow from Shakespeare in Love) delighted in the book as much as me and thought it was one of the cleverest "murder mysteries" to come along in a long time.

Alas, as is the case with so many authors' works, the follow up (not a sequel in this case), does not compare favorably with the "masterpiece" that came before it. The plot is not as intricate nor as gripping in Ape House, and it was hard for me to get very emotionally involved in the story.

In a nutshell, the plot revolves around Isabel Duncan, a scientist who works with bonobo apes in an ape language lab set at the University of Kansas (Go Jayhawks!) and John Thigpen (yes, the name is klunky, but there is humor in the book addressing this awkwardness), a journalist who interviews both Isabel and the apes right before the language lab is blown up, thereby "freeing" the apes. Isabel is severely injured, and the apes mysteriously disappear, then suddenly reappear on a "reality" television show. Together, John and Isabel investigate the mystery of the explosion and try to discover who is behind the exploitative television series.

Despite my overall opinion that it is not as well-written as Water for Elephants, I wonder what I would have thought had I never read that first book, because there are things I truly like about Ape House and I do think it is worth the time to read it. It wasn't one that I "couldn't put down," but it was very sweet in parts.

Except for the villains, of course, I truly liked the characters. John's marriage is troubled, and at first I thought his wife was going to be a vain, shallow, one-dimensional character, but the author surprised me. Despite her flaws, I truly was rooting for Amanda in her struggle to find her identity and self-worth. I was also rooting for John, even though at times he and Amanda were at cross-purposes. It takes a skillful writer, in my opinion, to write about a stressful marriage and make neither partner the villain and further, create sympathy for both in the mind of the reader.

The apes are also characters, maybe even more so than the elephant in WFE. We come to know and love the bonobos who have learned to communicate through American Sign Language. These include Bonzi, the alpha female; her baby Lola; Mbongo, who teaches John that apes can get offended/have their feelings hurt; and the pregnant Makena, as well as several others. At one point in the book, Isabel says they are her family. We get hints that Isabel grew up in a less than ideal human family as a girl, but I wish the author had fleshed her backstory out a little more.

Other intriguing characters include Celia (Isabel's assistant or secret radical activist?); Peter, Isabel's fiance who may not be what he appears on the surface; and the green-haired boy who takes strong exception whenever he sees someone eating meat and who has a surname that is eerily familiar to John. Not to mention the aging porn star bent on revenge and determined to make a life for herself.

The author also cleverly works in the Fred Phelps cult (I refuse to call them a church) by having them protesting at the Ape House reality show as the "Eastborough Baptist Church" (Ha!) Since the show turns into a media circus, I know Sara Gruen is right and that his clan would be there in all its ridiculous glory.

Overall, I did like this book and I would recommend it. When I was finished, I was sad, not so much that I was done with the book, but that I was done with the characters and would not find out what happened next in their lives.

Give me some feedback and let me know what you think, both about Ape House and my review. Happy Reading!

P.S. This is a fairly clean read.

One Happy Mom

2010-10-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

I am so happy for my son Quinn right now. He is reading The Hunger Games and can't put it down. Nothing pleases me more as a mother and a reader than to see one of my boys walking around with his nose in a book, oblivious to the world around him. At this moment in time, Quinn wold rather be reading this book than playing the Wii, his Nintendo DS, or sitting in front of any other kind of screen. Oh, joy! And last night, when I told him it was time to turn out his light, it was music to my ears when he replied, "But Mom, I only have six more chapters!"

Books transport us to other times and other places and allow us to meet, even become new people. I know some characters in books better than I know my friends. I have visited Pemberly in England even though I have never physically been in Europe. Right now Quinn is in Panem having the adventure of his life, hanging out with Katniss, Rue, Peeta and Gale, and there is nowhere I'd rather have him be.

Dad

2010-10-07T15:52:00.002-05:00

LYNDON - Gilliland, Delton M., 70, passed away on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, at a Wichita hospital. He was born on June 21, 1940, on the family farm north of Lyndon, the son of Frank and Lucille Parker Gilliland.

Delton earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from K.U. in 1964 and worked for Boeing in Wichita for 3 years. He attended K.U. for his law degree, was on the University of Kansas Law Review from 1968-70 and was admitted to the bar in 1970. He was Law Clerk for the Idaho State Supreme Court, 1970-71 and was Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Ada County, Idaho from 1972-74. He then moved back to Lyndon where he joined the firm of Coffman, Jones & Hederstedt, which later became Coffman, Jones & Gilliland.

Delton was a member of the Osage County and Kansas Bar Associations. He became Osage County Counselor in 1989 and County Administrator in 2002. He had served as Past Master of the Euclid Lodge #101 in Lyndon and the Ridgeway Lodge #62 at Overbrook. He served as District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas and was a Scottish Rite Mason in Topeka. He was a member of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Sons of the American Revolution.

On January 21, 1967, Delton married Janet Mustard in Wichita. Delton is survived by his wife, Jan of the home; his two daughters, Stephany Hughes (Pat) of Leon and Lindy May (Karl) of Clearwater; his son, Josh Gilliland of San Diego, CA.; three brothers, Darrel Gilliland (Susan) of Topeka, Frank Gilliland (Betsy) of Holton, Milton Gilliland (Becky) of Topeka; three sisters, Ina Beth Jordan (Jim) of Centennial, CO., Amy Feitel (Tom) of Tulsa, OK., and Susan King (Mike) of Republic, MO.; five grandsons, Ian Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Parker May, Colin Hughes and Brody May.

Funeral services for Delton will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, October 4, 2010 at the Feltner Funeral Chapel in Lyndon. Burial will be in the Lyndon Cemetery. Delton will lie in state from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral chapel where the family will recieve friends from 3:30-5:0pm. Memorial cotributions may be made payable to The ARC of Sedgwick County, for the Y.E.S.S. Preogram which serves children with special needs, and sent in care of Feltner Funeral Home, 818 Topeka Ave., Lyndon, KS. 66451.

Abstinence

2010-09-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

The subtitle to my blog says it is about my faith, family and books. As it turns out, I have mostly written about the books I am reading, but my faith is far and away the most important thing in my life. As a Christian, I really liked this article about abstinence by Steven Crowder called Why NOT Having Sex Might Be Good For You and it really moved me. Mr. Crowder, who apparently is in a long-term relationship and is abstinent, does not concentrate on the health reasons for abstinence (although he does mention them in passing), but rather focuses on the bond of trust that is fostered between two people who choose to remain chaste while in a relationship. When you show your partner that you are able to control yourself and postpone gratification now, that partner knows that you are trustworthy and will make a good spouse because you will be able to control yourself and remain faithful later. It was beautifully written and gave a logical and loving reason for choosing abstinence before marriage. I encourage you to read it if you are interested.

Book Review: Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

2010-09-08T08:21:00.005-05:00

"Most people had an acquired kind of beauty--they became better looking the longer you knew them and the better you loved them." This is the sentence that most struck me as I read Linger and is the most likely to stick with me. I have long held this sentiment, but had never managed to put it into such beautiful language as Maggie Stiefvater uses in this sequel to Shiver. And this lovely prose is the strength of both books. A reader could open either book to any random page and find an exquisite passage to roll around on the brain and the tongue. I remember that Oprah once described a certain book club pick as "liquid poetry." That is what kept coming to my mind as I read Linger, and I do recommend reading both Shiver and Linger for the sheer pleasure of exulting in Stiefvater's bewitching prose.

Despite my delight in this aspect of Linger, I did not care for the story. To me, Shiver was a near-perfect book that stood on its own and needed no sequel. I will admit that it has been quite some time since I read Shiver, but I remember it as complete...everything resolved, no threads left hanging. When I read Linger, it seemed to me that perhaps Stiefvater's publisher had put pressure on her to come up with a sequel because the first book had been such a success. I know nothing of the sort; that is only conjecture on my part because the plot in Linger seemed contrived. The author had to (in some sense) "change the rules" of the werewolf phenomenon that affects the main characters. So, we went from book #1, in which the plot and conflicts are laid out and then resolved in a clear and rational way, within the confines of a fantasy story, to Linger, where what we thought we knew, especially regarding the "cure," is turned on its head and a new set of much more nebulous rules regarding the "disease" and "cure" are laid out. Shiver felt like a complete book with a satisfying conclusion, while Linger felt inadequate and left me restless, but not in the same way a good cliffhanger, such as Suzanne Collins's Catching Fire, leaves us breathlessly awaiting the next installment in a series. Stiefvater may be setting us up for the next in a series, and I am sure I will read it, but in my mind, I would prefer to leave Sam and Grace in Shiver and be satisfied with their fates, rather than move on with them to Linger where they are in that nebulous ever-after.

Another thing that I don't like about the books is the author's treatment of parents. All the parents in the books are one-dimensional and range from outright cruel (Sam's) to merely neglectful and disinterested (Grace's in Shiver). I won't say much else except to say that the only good parents are the parental figures (i.e., Beck) and none of the natural parents show any kind of love for their own children nor even any common sense.

So, my conclusion is that I recommend Shiver, especially to "Team Jacob" readers of the Twilight series. It is richer and more skillfully written than Meyer's books (although some may think Stiefvater borrowed certain elements, such as otherworldly boy sneaking up to girl's room every night), but parents should read it first and be prepared to discuss any negative elements and decide on age-appropriateness. As for Linger, as I said above, if you are a lover of language for its own sake, I think you should read it because Ms. Stiefvater writes so beautifully that it might make your eyes sting with tears at times, but if you are more interested in a satisfying werewolf story, read Shiver and don't go on.

Check back with me if a third book in this series ever comes out. I may have changed my mind completely.

Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

2010-09-01T08:11:00.005-05:00

Not since the final Harry Potter have I so anticipated a book release. I loved, loved, loved The Hunger Games and Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) and could not wait to read Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games). When it finally arrived, the first thing I did was open it to the middle and inhale, and it smelled wonderful. I think the smell of a new, highly anticipated book gives me more pleasure than a bouquet of a dozen roses.

I am honestly still not sure what I think of Mockingjay. Did it blow my socks off, as foreseen? Yes! Did I like it? Not sure. Do I recommend reading it? Yes, I think so, with one caveat: the audience for this book, at least as far as content, should be a little older than the first two. While both THG and CF include heavy themes that require the reader to really engage and contemplate such issues as freedom, totalitarianism, and self- sacrifice, and certainly contain violence, Mockingjay ups the ante. There is scene after scene of bizarre and grisly violence and [spoiler alert] several beloved characters die difficult (to say the least) deaths. The author has said that she wishes to give a clear view of the realities and consequences of war and violence. So, while some parts are difficult to read, I am encouraging my 9th-grade son to read it, but will probably have my Middle School son (who has a vivid imagination) to hold off for a year or two.

Mockingjay opens with our Katniss a broken girl. She is given to avoidance and isolation and has taken to hiding out in various nooks around the District 13 underground. Again, I believe the author is trying to illustrate war's effects by giving Katniss some form of PTSD. But, the resistance needs its Mockingjay, so Katniss must rise to the occasion, and rise she does. She will never again be the same (nearly) innocent girl we met in THG, so she must learn to change and grow under the horrific conditions of the totalitarian government of Panem and now the war between the government and the rebels.

I am not sure that I would call Mockingjay a satisfying conclusion to the series, but it is definitely a conclusion, and while I do not feel it measures up to the first two in the series, it is very much worth reading to find out what happens to Panem and the characters we have come to love such as Katniss, Gale and Peeta. And speaking of Gale and Peeta, I will not say how this love triangle is resolved, but I will say that I was disappointed by how the author dealt with the man that was not chosen by Katniss. Both Gale and Peeta were deep and rich characters and the one not chosen was written off with what I thought was a perfunctory sentence dismissing what he had meant to Katniss and the connection they shared throughout the books.

My conclusion is that Suzanne Collins is an amazingly gifted author. Though I was disappointed with aspects of Mockingjay, this series overall is fantastic and I love how the books stretch the mind and make the reader think about our relationship to our government, our responsibility for our own destiny, self-sacrifice, and the difficult choices we may have to make for the ones we love.

If you want to read another perspective, see Jen Robinson's review here. Jen Robinson is a book blogger whose opinion I highly respect and if you are a teacher or have children still living at home, you should follow her blog. I was glad to see that her views about the age-appropriateness of Mockingjay were pretty much the same as mine.

Georgette Heyer Character Name Change Chart

2010-07-26T21:36:00.002-05:00

I get together occasionally with a friend from law school and inevitably we end up at Barnes & Noble, each with a stack of books recommended by the other. This past Friday, I told her about the Georgette Heyer reading streak I have been on, so she bought The Black Moth, These Old Shades, and Devil's Cub, Heyer's only trilogy (as far as I know). Unfortunately when I read these, not only did I read them in reverse order, but I didn't realize that T.B.M. and T.O.S. were even connected because Heyer decided to change the names of the major characters. After I realized this, some things in the second book made a lot more sense, so I made myself a key and wrote it in the front of T.O.S. I just e-mailed this key to my friend, and decided I should post it here in case anyone else decides to take my advice and pick up these wonderful books. I don't promise that this list is exhaustive or even 100% accurate, but I hope it helps:

The character name from T.B.M. is given first, followed by the change from T.O.S.

1. Tracy Belmanior, Duke of Andover (villain) becomes Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon (hero)

2. Lavinia (Belmanoir) Carstares becomes Lady Fanny Marling

3. Richard Carstares becomes Edward Marling

4. Robert becomes Rupert

5. Jack Carstares, Earl of Wyndam (hero) becomes Lord Anthony Merivale

6. Diana Beauleigh becomes Jennifer Merivale

Stephen King Recommends: Summer Reading

2010-07-06T16:57:00.000-05:00

OK, I have to say up front that I am not a Stephen King fan. I have only read about five of his books to completion and none of them were favorites. However, I have found that I really enjoy following his pop culture column for Entertainment Weekly and almost always agree with his reading suggestions. Why the master of horror and I have similar taste in books is one of those great mysteries that will not be solved in this lifetime.

But I knew that he had once again not gone wrong when I saw that this summer's first suggestion is Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. I completely agree with him that Lisbeth Salander is "one of the great female characters in fiction."

I challenge you to read through King's list and not find something that piques your interest. For myself, I think will be checking out Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd. Happy Reading!

LOST Book Club

2010-07-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

I just saw this article on EW.com and had to link to it. Here are 15 books that were highlighted in one or more episodes of LOST (usually by Sawyer or some other character reading them) and have some connection to the mythology surrounding LOST, or at least the plot of a particular episode. There are many more books than these 15 that made appearances on LOST, and some day I hope to post a complete list, but for now this should get you started.

Some of my favorite books make an appearance on this list, including The Chronicles of Narnia and A Wrinkle in Time. Enjoy!

Justified

2010-06-15T10:03:00.000-05:00

I just heard about the F/X series Justified. After reading Andrew Klavan's post, I am now considering purchasing Season 1 on DVD when it is released. Hopefully I can catch some reruns first. I haven't seen any episodes, but am anxious to check out Justified.

Book Review: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

2010-06-11T09:08:00.003-05:00

So far on this blog, I have avoided writing book reviews for specific books. Instead, I have concentrated on lists of my favorite books and things like that. The reason for this is mostly my feeling of inadequacy. I read several other book blogs, and those bloggers are such good writers. They manage to write interesting book reviews...giving enough info about the book in question without spoilers. I have been sucked into that old comparison trap! I realized, though, that if I want to continue to have subjects for blogging, I am going to have to do book reviews. They may not be long...I may be giving just the most basic info such as whether I liked it or not and a short plot summary. So here goes.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is a gentle comedy of manners about the unlikely romance between the very British Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali, a widow and shopkeeper who in reality is equally British, but is defined by/labeled with her Muslim religion and heritage and is therefore an outsider in her own land. It is a story about growing old, about maintaining your dignity and independence in the face of the encroaching next generation who believe they know better than you what is best for your life. For Major Pettigrew, it is a story of family relationships...of how to balance love for (sometimes) well-meaning children and pursuing your own happiness. It is a novel of learning to love those children in a whole new way. For Mrs. Ali, it is a story about sacrifice and about breaking away from oppression and finding freedom.

The book opens with Major Pettigrew learning of his brother, Bertie's death, and Mrs. Ali coming upon him immediately afterward. She helps him in this moment of extreme distress and their friendship begins. As the story progresses, the friendship blossoms into romance, much to the dismay of both their families. For everyone besides these two, the relationship is wholly inappropriate.

Major Pettigrew's son is an ambitious young man with money troubles who more or less wants his father to step out of the way so that he can advance. An estate dispute over a valuable pair of guns after Bertie's death is one thread that runs through the novel. Everyone in the family feels entitled to the guns and wants them for different reasons. The constant tension over the antique weapons is well crafted by Helen Simonson and is resolved in an unexpected and (I thought) satisfying way.

Mrs. Ali also has her own family problems. Her husband has arranged for her to own their shop after his death. However, this does not prevent his family from exerting extreme pressure on her to give up the shop to a nephew and to retreat into retirement and seclusion, which would amount to little better than a comfortable prison for her. Mrs. Ali has a streak of independence, but she also has a deep love for family, especially children, and may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

I enjoyed Major Pettigrew very much. It is a sweet story. But, just because I've used words like gentle and sweet, it is a very grown-up book with themes that we all struggle with. It will be worth it to pick up this book.

Books Coming This Summer

2010-05-11T08:22:00.000-05:00

If you want to see what books are generating buzz for the summer, check out this link to Entertainment Weekly here. The list includes the two books I am most looking forward to, both conclusions to trilogies: Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the conclusion to the Millennium Trilogy, and Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Larsson's book is out quite soon, May 25. We'll have to wait most of the summer for Collins's book, though...it will be released on August 24. It will be a long wait for me, but sometimes the anticipation of a book I know I am going to love is almost as good as the book itself. Happy Reading!

New D.E. Stevenson Collection

2010-05-05T22:25:00.000-05:00

Last week I bid on a lot of 12 D.E. Stevenson books and I won. They arrived today (Oh Happy Day!) and I have been having a lovely time sorting through them and deciding which to read first.

Let me explain why I am so excited. For a book lover, there is no greater pleasure than finding a new author that you love, especially if that author was particularly prolific. I heard about D.E. Stevenson from a blog I follow, Jen Robinson's Book Page, and these books are just the kind of books I like. D.E. Stevenson is quickly becoming one of my comfort authors... with the likes of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, C.S. Lewis, Baroness Orzcy, etc. Here's the problem: though Stevenson was popular in her day, the vast majority of her books are currently out of print and in my experience, extremely difficult to find. The two local libraries I frequent only had five total out of the 40-odd Stevenson books. Neither of the local used bookstores I tried had any at all.

So, I have several weeks of bliss ahead of me. Here is a list of the books that were in the lot that I won, so if you see one you want to borrow, let me know. D.E. Stevenson was known for having characters from one book make appearances in other books, so many are interrelated. I will group a book together with its sequel or as part of a trilogy as per The World of DES, but even if not listed as part of a group, a book is likely to be related to other books. Most of them are new to me, but I will note the ones I have already read:

1. Katherine Wentworth
2. Katherine's Marriage

3. Vittoria Cottage
4. Music in the Hills
5. Shoulder the Sky (My favorite of the ones I have read. So happy to have my own copy).

6. Gerald and Elizabeth (Has a sequel...not part of this lot).

7. Celia's House (Have read this...rework of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park plot).
8. Listening Valley (Have read this...sweet, charming story of an insecure girl blossoming into a confident young woman, with the help of an older man who cherishes her).

9. Young Mrs. Savage
10. Still Glides the Stream (Have read).
11. The House on the Cliff
12. Anna and Her Daughters

If you are a D.E. Stevenson fan and you have an opinion on which book to read first, let me know. If you have never heard of D.E. Stevenson, and you like sweet, innocent romances which are full of interesting characters and plots, give her a try. She was related to Robert Louis Stevenson, so good writing runs in the family.

Since I heard of DES, I have been frustrated by the difficulty of finding her books. I am hoping that some publishing company will decide to reissue her books, like what has happened with Georgette Heyer.

James Herriot

2010-04-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

It's happened! Finally, once again I've found a book that transports me to another time and another place. Of course I have heard of James Herriot. I had even tried to read one of his books as a little girl. I must have been too young to appreciate it, because I certainly don't remember loving it, or even finishing it.

My Grandma Gilliland, a lifelong reader, recently passed away, and one of my aunts told me that in her last few weeks, she went back to these animal stories, and read them over and over. Her copy of All Creatures Great and Small, is tattered with dog-eared pages. I have been longing for one of those books that touch the soul, restlessly casting about for just the right read. When I heard about Grandma's last reading days, I rummaged under my bed until I unearthed the dual copy of All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful that I had purchased from the bargain bin at Barnes and Noble several years ago. If cliches originate with the truth, then that old saying "it made me laugh, it made me cry," could have been first written by a reviewer of this book. Last night in bed, I was shaking with laughter (silently so as to not awaken Pat), reading about Tristan wrecking not one, but two of his brother Siegfried's cars in a 24-hour period. Earlier in the day, though, I was fighting back tears when James had to put down an old widower's loyal dog, his last companion on this earth.

The first thing I wanted to be "when I grew up" was a veterinarian. Reading All Creatures Great and Small was giving me twinges of regret that I never pursued that career. Then I remembered the best thing about reading. When I read this book, I am a vet. When I read Pride and Prejudice, I am Elizabeth Bennet. I am Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. I am Lucy loving Aslan with my whole heart. This does not happen to me with every book, but once in a while, if you are very blessed, you open a treasure, one of those books that touches your soul, and you forget you are reading and are whisked away from your own life to Regency England, to a veterinary practice in the British Isles, to Narnia.

New Blog

2010-03-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

I just found a new blog that I am really excited about. It is called "Ms. Yingling Reads" and discusses and reviews books especially aimed at boys. Because I am the mother of three sons, I am passionate about getting boys to read. I know that most of the time, my boys would rather be playing the Wii or iPod, and so am always looking for books to tempt them away. I haven't read much at this blog, but will be perusing it eagerly.

Spring Break, Etc.

2010-03-23T15:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I just wanted to post to assure you that I have not forgotten about my blog. I just haven't been reading much lately because of this and that going on in my life. My grandma died and the end of February and I made two trips to my hometown during that time. After about a week at home, it was time for Spring Break and we went to Colorado. I thought I would get a lot of reading done in the car, but it did not happen. I am hoping that life will calm down and get somewhat back to normal.

I did manage to finish another Georgette Heyer novel, The Masqueraders while on vacation and right now I am reading The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl, a book recommended to be by my Aunt I.B. when we were visiting her in Denver. It is a literary thriller...literary in the sense that several literary icons (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, etc.) are characters in the novel. So far I am enjoying it.

My Grandma

2010-02-26T23:12:00.000-06:00

My Grandma Gilliland passed away this week. I could never hope to find the words to express how much she meant to me and influenced me in my life. Below is her obituary. She was loved and I will miss being called "dolly" and "tweetie."

Grandma Gilliland's Life

2010-02-26T23:09:00.001-06:00

(Ina) Lucille Gilliland, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away on February 25, 2010, full of years at 92, a woman who devoted her entire life to her family. She was born Lucille Parker in Alta Vista, Kansas on October 26, 1917, one of seven children. The Parkers later moved to Lyndon, Kansas where she graduated from Lyndon High School in 1934 and married Donald Gilliland on August 1, 1936. Donald and Lucille moved to Overbrook, Kansas, where they raised their three girls and four boys on the family farm.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donald, grandson Ryan Gilliland, brothers Earl Parker, George Parker and Ted Parker and sister Ruby Sherwin. After the death of her husband, Lucille took a position as a cook at Santa Fe Trail High School, and finished raising their children on the farm. She retired in 1983 and moved back to Lyndon in 1985. Throughout her life Lucille enjoyed reading, baking, quilting, Scrabble and crossword puzzles, and most especially spending time with her family.

Lucille is survived by her children and their spouses, Darrel (Susan) of Topeka, Delton (Janet) of Lyndon, Frank (Betsy) of Holton, Ina Beth (Jim) Jordan of Littleton, Colorado, Amy (Tom) Feitel of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Susan (Mike) King of Republic, Missouri, and Milton (Becky) of Topeka; 15 grandchildren who all know how blessed they were to have her as a grandmother; 20 great grandchildren; and her sisters, Irene Johnson of Mesa, Arizona and Lorene Michel of Grenada, California.

Katie's Blog

2010-02-20T20:51:00.002-06:00

My darlin' cousin Katie has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which is what her mom died of about 15 years ago. She is going to be blogging about her experience as she undergoes treatment, including chemotherapy, which starts this coming Tuesday. She is one of my favorite people on the planet, and if you know her you will know exactly why I say that. She is welcoming anyone to read her blog as she talks about her experience. If you want to visit her site, go to www.caringbridge.org. On the home page in the box where it says to enter the website name, enter "kateelasy." Or, if you prefer, you can click on the link over on the left of my page under the "Blogs I Follow" section. Katie would love to hear from family and friends. The support and kind words she has already received have meant a lot. The picture is of Katie's three boys.

Scholar's Bowl

2010-02-19T08:51:00.003-06:00

My son Ian participated in the Central Plains League Scholar's Bowl Tournament yesterday. Suffice it to say I am one proud mom! His strongest suit is Math, but I took particular pride in the fact that he answered many literature questions correctly yesterday. I can't remember everything he got right (they played 16 rounds), but some of the answers he gave in which I feel I can a little credit included "Tuck Everlasting," "Madeleine L'Engle," "foreshadowing," and "alliteration." Go, Ian! See, it does pay to read.

Two Awesome Lists

2010-02-19T08:39:00.000-06:00

Wow! If you are looking for something to read, check out these two lists. The first one is the Top 100 Children's Novels, a list put together by a woman named Betsy Bird. I think she polled people who follow her blog at School Library Journal. Even if you are not interested in reading children's books, you have to check out this list to see and appreciate all the work she has gone to to compile this list. Not only does she have a short summary of each book, but also includes quotes from readers who particularly love each book, videos relating to the books, and (my favorite part of the list) as many images of covers of different editions of each book that she could find. She is releasing her list a few books at a time, and for the last week or so, I have been eagerly checking out this blog each day to find the new posts. For the books I have already read on this list, I am feeling nostalgic to re-read them and as for the books I have not read, almost every entry makes me feel like I have missed out on a great treasure, a situation that I must rectify (soon).

If you are a lover of dystopian fiction, especially in the YA category, the other list you must see is Half a Century of English-Language Young Adult Dystopias at a blog called Redecorating Middle-Earth in Early Lovecraft. The blogger (Amy H. Sturgis) breaks down by decade an extremely comprehensive list of dystopian novels. I am slowly learning, but I must admit that I was ignorant at the number of books that exist in this genre. In fact, even though I have always liked books with a creepy/futuristic feel, I didn't realize until recently that this really was considered a genre unto itself.

Thanks to Jen Robinson whose blog led me to both these lists. I now have so many books in my mental "to-read" pile that I think I will never get through them all.

Which is bliss.

Hunger Games #3 Title and Cover Revealed

2010-02-11T13:31:00.000-06:00

Hurrah! The third in the trilogy is coming. Here is the first trickle of information that Scholastic is letting out. Go to their site here to see the cover and the title of the new book.

Georgette Heyer

2010-02-04T08:46:00.001-06:00

I am alway so excited when I discover a new (to me) author, especially if she has written a lot of books. Right now I am happily in the midst of a Georgette Heyer craze. I had actually heard about her several years ago from two friends in my bunco group who knew that I was a Jane Austen fanatic and kept encouraging me that if I liked her, I would also enjoy Georgette Heyer.

For whatever reason (probably that I was in my Jane Austen fever and nothing could compare at that point in my life), I tried one of her books and it just did not hold my interest. Thankfully, now that the aforesaid fever has cooled, I decided to try Georgette Heyer again, and I am so glad I did. She is not the genius that Jane Austen was (obviously), but it was unfair to hold her to that standard, even though she mostly wrote in the same genre. Georgette Heyer's Regency romances are charming and delightful. If you are looking for a fun, clean read, pick up one of these books. When I first heard of Georgette Heyer from my friends, most of her book were out of print. Thankfully, they are now being re-issued in nice (trade??) paperback editions. The ones I have read so far are the following:

1. The Black Moth, These Old Shades, Devil's Cub These are a sort of trilogy. The Black Moth was the first novel Georgette Heyer wrote, when she was a teenager. Later she wrote these next two, although she changed the names of some of the characters. When I figured out who was who, I made a list so that when I was reading #2 and #3, I could remember what certain characters where called in #1. I even wrote the list in the front of book #2 so that when I lent the books out, future readers could just look at the code and not have to figure it out for themselves.

2. The Reluctant Widow

3. Cotillion

4. The Convenient Marriage (I didn't like this heroine at first, but she grew up and grew on me).

5. The Quiet Gentleman (My favorite so far...loved this one).

6. Powder and Patch (Again, not my favorite heroine).

I read somewhere that Georgette Heyer usually has one of two different types of heroines: the very young, inexperienced girl, or the mature woman who is almost "on the shelf"...nearly an old maid. I admit that I much prefer the older heroine who has come into herself. Maybe this preference is because Persuasion is one of my two all-time favorites (who does not love Anne Elliot?), but I tend to find some of the younger heroines to be immature and selfish. This being said, I want to emphasize that I like all the stories, even if a particular heroine annoys me a little.

I will update this list as I read more Georgette Heyer.

7. The Foundling (I did something that I hardly ever do with this book...I skipped ahead to the end. At first I thought there were two possible heroines and I wanted to make sure she turned out to be the one I liked better).

8. Arabella (I am just now finishing this one...have about 2-3 pages left. Such a tender, sweet story. Actually had a young, naive heroine that I really enjoyed).

Interview With Jen Robinson

2010-02-04T07:58:00.002-06:00

As I've talked about, one of my favorite bloggers is Jen Robinson. Her love of books and desire to share that love with children and young adults is inspiring. If you would like to get to know her better, check out the interview, here, at another book blog called Texas Sweethearts. To those of you who are teachers, you will not find a better literature resource than Jen's site. I wish I had discovered her before my mom retired from teaching 5th Grade.

Newberry Awards Revisited

2010-01-25T07:55:00.001-06:00

It does me good to go back and read my previous posts. When I did this, I realized that although I linked to this year's Newberry Award Winner, I neglected to actually name it. I aim to correct that. Here is a list of this year's winner and the honor books:

Winner: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Honor Books:

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

As I said before, my mom (who taught 5th Grade for 25+ years) says that you can almost never go wrong by reading Newberry Books. They are excellent literature.

Recent Reads

2010-01-22T08:25:00.001-06:00

Well, I had so enjoyed The Girl Who Played With Fire that I couldn't decide what to read next. This book was one of those books that so engrossed me that I felt like I was pulled into its world for a while and just knew whatever book I chose next would not compare. I asked my mom whether I should read a similar book (mystery/thriller) or something totally different. She thought I would be better off choosing a completely different genre, so I took her advice and returned to Georgette Heyer. I am so glad I did.

Since finishing The Girl Who Played With Fire, I have read two Georgette Heyer books...The Quiet Gentleman and The Convenient Marriage. I read somewhere that Heyer's books usually have two types of heroines: the young, naive girl who gets herself into scrapes or the older, wiser, level-headed woman who has been on the shelf slightly too long and has almost gained the label of spinster, and each of these books has one of those types. Personally, I prefer the older heroine (after all, my second-favorite book ever is Persuasion), so of these two, I preferred The Quiet Gentleman. The heroine is Drusilla, a twenty-something woman whose character is summed up by common sense and a lack of imagination (so she says). I loved the hero, Gervase Frant, who has a sweet temper and a backbone of steel. He gets what he wants never by causing a fuss, but simply by ever so nicely standing up for his rights. He comes home to claim his rightful title as Earl and has to deal with several potential enemies, including his overbearing step-mother and resentful half-brother. Someone is trying to eliminate the Earl from the picture, but who is it?

The other book, which I just finished last night, is The Convenient Marriage, whose two main characters are the Earl of Rule and Horatia (Horry...for which nickname one must put aside one's modern sensibilities). Horatia is the young/naive type heroine who sacrifices herself and offers to marry the Earl in her sister's place because her sister is already in love with another. I didn't much care for Horry at first, but as she matured in the story she grew on me. She gets herself into one humorous scrape after another and her husband, who initially marries her only for her name, becomes enchanted with her and works behind the scenes to protect her and extract her from her difficulties. And I don't think I will spoil the story to say that everything turns out all right in the end.

Newberry Awards

2010-01-21T08:15:00.002-06:00

The 2010 Newberry Award winner has been announced. Mom taught 5th grade for years and has always said that if you are looking for a good read, you can never go wrong with a Newberry book.

Favorite Books of 2009

2010-01-13T22:45:00.004-06:00

I didn't keep track of all the books I read in 2009, but I can remember several that I really liked. Here is a list of books I read during the past year that I think are worth your time. I am still having trouble with links. They don't work the way Amazon says they should, but I'll try again soon to link these books to Amazon.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (sequel to The Hunger Games; third in trilogy due out this year)

3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (sequel to above; third in trilogy due out in May)

5. Listening Valley by D.E. Stevenson

6. Shoulder the Sky by D.E. Stevenson

7. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (for fans of Twilight, only better)

8. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (laughed so hard I nearly died of asphyxia)

9. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

10. The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer

11. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer

12. Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer

13. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith

Recent Reading

2010-01-07T08:17:00.000-06:00

Over the past month, I have abandoned one book, read another that I was not crazy about and now am (finally) currently reading one that I love and read late into the night until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. It is called The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. It is the second in a trilogy. I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo last year when it came out in paperback and liked it so much that I couldn't wait until this second one was also out in paperback. Over the Christmas shopping season, Amazon reduced the hardback price so much that I went ahead and bought it, and I am so glad I did. I haven't finished it yet but when I do, I will try to write an actual review.

The third, and sadly last of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest comes out May 25, and I can safely predict that I will not be waiting for the paperback. The author died just around the time the three novels were submitted to his publisher. I understand that detailed outlines for 11 total books in this series were found among his effects, but there is some sort of dispute over his estate. I am hopeful that it can be resolved and that a ghostwriter is hired to finish the series. I want to read further exploits of Lisbeth Salander, one the most fascinating characters I have come across during the last few years.

The one book I have finished lately is called Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. It had received a myriad of very good reviews and was one of Amazon's top books of 2010, so I was excited to read it. It turned out that I really didn't like it that much. Beautiful Creatures is in that fantasy genre a la Harry Potter or Twilight, with its own myths/creatures/magical rules. I know a lot of people thought it was wonderful, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Spoiler alert: two of the characters turn out to be incubi (plural of incubus...I had to look it up) and that made me pretty squeamish, especially since one of them is a "good guy" and self-sacrificing. As a Christian, I have to say "no way." And as for the writing style, I thought the book was too long. The story seemed to drag, at least for me. Also, too much teenage angst. Ugh.

What Jen Robinson Read in 2009

2010-01-07T07:48:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to a post from my favorite book blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page. This lady is an book lover who reads in many different genres and age categories, but especially promotes the reading and love of children and young adult books. This is a list of books she read in 2009 with links to the ones she reviewed (she reviews some, but not all of the children and young adult books). Hopefully my blog will help me keep track of what I read in 2010 and at the end of the year I can do a similar post.

Abandoning a Book

2009-12-21T19:05:00.000-06:00

I just got a new iPhone, so haven't been doing as much reading lately as I usually do. Before I got the iPhone, though, I was reading a book which I unfortunately gave up on. I usually don't give up on a book, but this was one the was just boring me to tears. About halfway through, I remembered my wonderful Content Area Reading professor from Wichita State, who advised us that if we are reading for pleasure, it should truly be pleasurable, and not to force yourself to read something that you just aren't enjoying. I thought to myself, "Stephany, what are you doing?" The book was An Unsuitable Attachment by Barbara Pym. I just didn't like any of the characters, let alone care whether any of them had happy endings. In fact, none of the characters in the book seemed to even like each other. If the characters don't like each other, how am I supposed to like any of them? I did peek at the ending (maybe I did care a little?) but abandoned the book. Now I am reading Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, a YA novel. I am enjoying it much more than the Barbara Pym novel, although I am not getting through it much faster, because of the new iPhone discussed above. I love the Kindle app!

Best Middle Grade Books

2009-12-14T20:41:00.001-06:00

Check out this link for 100 recommended middle grade books from the last century and 10 from this past decade. I loved this list. And I love the name of the blog...The Book Aunt. That's kind of how I see myself. I'll have to add it to the blogs I follow.

Tips on Giving and Receiving Books

2009-12-14T08:39:00.000-06:00

I am linking to this article that I found really interesting. As a reader, I love to give books for Christmas, but don't always know how to go about it. Not only does this article discuss choosing books as gifts, but also gives tips on receiving books graciously. I know I have been guilty of the last item on her list.

More Gift Ideas for Book Lovers

2009-12-11T15:40:00.000-06:00

I found another list of great gifts for readers. This is part #5 of this blogger's list of gift ideas. If you read through the list to the bottom of this post, there are links to parts #1- #4. It is so fun browse and "window shop" on line.

Working Out the Bugs

2009-11-29T19:10:00.000-06:00

Grrr....I am having trouble posting images. What is the deal? I posted images of the covers to a couple of books I blogged about, but on subsequent days, they won't load. I hope I figure this out soon or I may move this blog. I'll post the new address here if I decide to move it.

Georgette Heyer

2009-11-28T20:47:00.001-06:00

I had heard from several friends that Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to Jane Austen and I am starting to believe them. I gather that she is considered to have established the genre of the Regency romance novel. Since she was not writing about her own time period, as was Jane Austen, she had to do extensive research and included many details about Regency life in her novels to help her readers better understand the plots. I find the novels richer for these details. From what I've read about Georgette Heyer she was meticulous in her research and rarely made a mistake.

I read Devil's Cub last week and just finished its prequel, These Old Shades, today. They were both charming, delightful, funny and romantic. These Old Shades especially picked up the pace the further I got into the novel and if I weren't reading in the bathtub, I would have been on the edge of my seat during the climactic confrontation between the hero, the Duke of Avon, and the villain, the Comte de Saint-Vire (or that "pig-person" as our heroine, Leonie would say). Previously I had read The Reluctant Widow and enjoyed it, but maybe not as much as these two I just finished.

So today, I went to Barnes and Noble and ended up buying a copy of the four Regency romances that were currently available at the store. When I first heard about Georgette Heyer, her books were no longer in print, but many have been re-issued and are now available. I am hoping that the same thing happens with D.E. Stevenson, another recent personal discovery.

Books for Boys and Young Men

2009-11-23T07:46:00.000-06:00

As the mom of only boys, I am always on the lookout for books geared toward the male gender. Here is a post of reading suggestions for boys that I found interesting.

Great Gifts for Readers

2009-11-22T18:06:00.001-06:00

I found this list on another book blog. It gives some great Christmas gift ideas for the readers and writers in your life. Make sure to go to the bottom of the list where you can click on last year's suggestions. This second list includes a whole section on ideas for Jane Austen lovers.

Books About Books

2009-11-20T21:13:00.001-06:00

Next to reading fiction, I like to read books about books. Here are some of the ones I have read (I own all but the last one):

1. Book Lust and More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl. Nancy Pearl is a librarian, an avid reader, and I think occasionally appears on NPR. She is well-read and is able to recommend books in just about any category, including chapters like "Horror for Sissies," "Tickle Your Funny Bone," "Cozies," "A...My Name is Alice," and various authors she considers "Too Good to Miss." I gave these two books out to almost every adult on my Christmas list last year. I had placed an order on Amazon through my cell phone, but somehow placed the order twice. Rather than send back the extra books, I just handed them out too.

2. Book Crush by Nancy Pearl. Like the books above, but for children and teens.

3. Great Books for Every Book Lover: 2002 Great Reading Suggestions for the Discriminating Bibliophile by Thomas Craughwell. I think this is out of print now, but gives a lot of down-to-earth suggestions. Chapters include "The Book Is Always Better Than the Movie," "British Classics," "Children's Classics," and "Shakespeare--In a Class by Himself."

4. Beowulf on the Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature's 50 Greatest Hits by Jack Murnighan. I recently read this and found it fascinating. I am now at least a little familiar with many classics that I will probably never read, but are nonetheless part of our Western Civilization and heritage. Because of this book, I am also interested in reading some works I never though I would. For example, I just picked up a copy of The Canterbury Tales in a used bookstore. I had no idea it would be so full of humor. Chapters cover authors such as Shakespeare (of course), Homer, Dante, Milton, Jane Austen (I wouldn't have bought this if it didn't), Dickens, Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, and many others.

5. 501 Must-Read Books, published by Bounty Books. This is sort of a coffee-table book that I could leisurely thumb through or get lost in for several hours. There is a picture shown for each book discussed, and I suspect that most of the pictures are of first-edition covers. Books from the following categories are discussed: children's fiction, classic fiction, history, memoirs, modern fiction, science fiction, thrillers, and travel.

6. Defining Moments in Books: The Greatest Books, Writers, Characters, Passages and Events that Shook the Literary World, published by Octopus Publishing Group, Ltd. Another coffee table book. This one covers more cutting edge or controversial books and is divided by decade starting with 1890 and ending with 2000.

7. The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics by W. John Campbell, Ph.D. A compilation written in the style of Sparknotes or Cliff's Notes. Gives short and interesting synopses of plot and characters from such works as The Scarlet Letter, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Of Mice and Men and Jane Eyre.

8. How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom. In different sections, he discusses reading short stories, poems, novels (here, what I would call "classic novels" including Emma by Austen and Great Expectations by Dickens), plays, and novels again ("modern" novels including Moby Dick by Melville and Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison).

9. The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived: How Characters of Fiction, Myth, Legends, Television, and Movies Have Shaped our Society, Changed Our Behavior, and Set the Course of History by Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan and Jeremy Salter. This title pretty much says it all, but here are the categories that the authors cover: Greek and Roman myths, folktales, legends, monsters, stereotypes, adventure, crime, Americana, literature, children's literature, theater, movies, women's liberation, comics and animation, commerce (i.e., The Marlboro Man), propaganda and television. This is another book that is fun to page through and which you don't have to read straight through to enjoy. This was a gift from my mom, who knows I love to read, a couple of years ago.

10. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller. Written by a teacher for teachers, but there is lots of good info for parents too. There is a list of suggested reading written by her students. I did pass my copy along to a teacher, but if I were in charge of a classroom, this book would be a must-have. She is truly concerned with getting kids to love reading rather than forcing them to read. This book is also where I learned about my favorite book blog, Jen Robinon's Book Page. Check her out at http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/.

11. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett. OK, this book is totally different than the rest on my the list, but it is about books and it is so engaging. It is a true story about a rare-book thief. I loved glimpsing the criminal mind without having to read any blood, gore, or violence. Plus, I learned about the rare book world.

A Truth Universally Acknowledged

2009-11-16T08:03:00.002-06:00

I just found out about this book: A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen. I am looking forward to reading it.

Perusing my Bookshelf

2009-11-11T08:13:00.001-06:00

I thought I would talk about some of the books that didn't make my all-time favorites list but which I have thoroughly enjoyed (4 - 4 1/2 stars out of 5). I will just let my eyes meander over my shelves, looking for books I couldn't part with...no particular order.

1. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen...falls somewhere between a murder mystery and romance. I did not guess who turned out to be the murderer. It was a clever surprise.

2. The Princess Bride by William Goldman...book on which the movie was based. Purports to be edited down from the original by S. Morgenstern by William Goldman. Had the hardest time deciding whether this was a joke. What do you think? Such a tender love story. Sigh.

3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith...coming of age story written by the author of 101 Dalmatians. Was out of print for quite a while, but recently (within the last 5 or so years) re-issued.

4. My Lori Wick books, especially Sean Donovan and The English Garden Series. One of my favorite Christian romance authors. I read her books whenever I need a comfort book and/or easy read.

5. The Giver/The Messenger/Gathering Blue Lois Lowry...YA books with a creepy dystopian plot. Give me the shivers.

6. The Hunger Games/Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins...also YA books, along the same lines of the Lois Lowry books. This author is a new discovery for me and I am eagerly awaiting the third installment of this series.

7. Anything by Ann Coulter, but only if you are a conservative.

8. The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini...despite the cruelty portrayed, these are beautifully written books.

9. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb...it's been a long time since I've read this, but I remember being completely absorbed.

10. Bridget Jones' Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding...Bridget Jones was the book that led me to Jane Austen. The first one is a rework of P&P and the second one of Persuasion. The scene where Bridget Jones interviews Colin Firth in the second book is, I think, the funniest thing I have ever read. Warning: these are books for grown-ups.

11. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian...I read this before it was an Oprah book.

12. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett...also read this (long) before it was an Oprah pick.

13. This Present Darkness/Piercing the Darkness...by Frank Peretti...exciting books about spiritual warfare.

14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows...just read this and loved it. Epistolary novel set just after the German occupation of Guernsey. Romance, heroics, and just plain good characters.

15. D.E. Stevenson's books, including Celia's House, Listening Valley, Still Glides the Stream, and Shoulder the Sky. Just discovered this author from Jen Robinson's Book Page. The books are out of print and difficult to find, but well worth the effort.

16. The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. This includes The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. The "Girl" in question is Lisbeth Salander, one of the most interesting heroines I have encountered. I don't think I would like her in real life, but I sure root for her on the page. My Aunt Susie called to say that she was so mad at Stieg Larsson for dying [after he submitted the three books to his editor]. Savor these three books because there are not any more coming.

17. Any Regency romance by Georgette Heyer. After Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer is the best Regency period writer out there. She is known for her detailed research into the Regency era as well as her sense of humor. See especially her first book written at age 15, The Black Moth, and it's two sequels written later in her life, These Old Shades and Devil's Cub. Note that Heyer changed the names of many characters between the first two books. I had to make a key.

18. All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful. My Grandma Gilliland read and re-read these stories during her last days. Enough said.

More to come...

Stephany's Favorite Literary Adaptations

2009-11-08T20:53:00.055-06:00

I'll save a list of my favorite movies for another post, although there may be some crossover. This is a list of what I consider to be the best literary adaptations.

1. Pride and Prejudice (1996 Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version)...Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy. Enough said.

2. Little Dorrit (2009)...this ran on PBS. I have not read much Dickens, so this story was unfamiliar to me. The character of Amy Dorrit is so fundamentally good in every way. You will ache for her and love her has you see how unappreciated and humble she is. There are many lighthearted moments as well. How can you not think of modern government offices when you see the going-ons at the Circumlocution Office, one of the most comic creations in literature? And if Edmund Sparkler doesn't make you laugh, you have no sense of humor ("there's no begod nonsense about her"). My one complaint was that the climax scene where the big family secret is revealed is confusing. In fact, I'm still not sure what happened. In defense of the movie makers, though, the secret, as written by Dickens, is quite complex and there is much discussion of the confusion on the internet.

3. Sense and Sensibility (1995 Emma Thompson/Kate Winslet)...quietly beautiful. I think I enjoy this movie even more than the book.

4. Much Ado About Nothing (1993 Kenneth Branagh/Emma Thompson)...my ultimate feel-good movie. This is such a joyful Shakespearean comedy, partly because it almost comes to tragedy, but all's well that end's well, so to speak.

5. Persuasion (1995 Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds)...every time I watch this I am amazed at how well the filmmakers captured Anne Elliot regaining her bloom. Amanda Root, as Anne, transforms from dowdy and tired to young and beautiful, just as described in the book.

6. Emma (1996 Gwyneth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam)...I enjoy this one more than the Kate Beckinsale version. Jeremy Northam is very dashing.

7. Bleak House (2005 Gillian Anderson)...another Dickens adaptation. Wonderful Dickens characters; excellent acting. The lawyer in me thoroughly enjoyed this lambasting of the legal system.

8. Pride and Prejudice (2006 Keira Knightly/Matthew Macfadyn)...I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I went to the theater with very low expectations, because how could any P&P adaptation live up to the 1996 BBC version? Because I expected to dislike it, I was pleasantly surprised. Definitely not in the same league as the BBC miniseries, but enjoyable in its own right.

9. As You Like It (2007 Bryce Dallas Howard/Brian Blessed)...another Kenneth Branagh adaptation, although he is behind the camera for this one. Not sure about the feudal Japan setting, but I like the movie nonetheless.

10. Twelfth Night (1996 Helena Bonham Carter)...see if you recognize the actress playing Viola. Hint: she also appears in Sense and Sensibility.

11. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999 Kevin Kline/Michelle Pfeiffer)

Stephany's Must-Read Books

2009-11-07T17:07:00.008-06:00

I thought it would be appropriate that my first post be about my all-time favorite books. When I contemplate this list, strangely it is usually in the context of my own funeral. I want the In Memoriam booklet to list the books I have loved and urged my family and friends to read throughout my life. Here is the list as it now stands:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen...one of Jane Austen's early novels. Sparkles with life and laughter. Can't believe I didn't discover this until my 30's. My all-time favorite book. Ever.

2. Persuasion by Jane Austen...last completed novel by Jane Austen. More mature than P&P and achingly beautiful. Awakens that sweet longing in the spirit for something unknown and beyond.

3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis...this is a series rather than one book, but how could I ever choose? These books have shaped my theology from a very young age, especially the picture Lewis paints of Jesus/Aslan in all seven books and his joyful and fully physical vision of heaven in The Last Battle.

4. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers...retelling of the book of Hosea in the Bible, set in during the Gold Rush. Made me understand Gomer (Angel in the book) in a way I hadn't before.

5. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand...made me look at the world differently. She was an athiest, so she didn't get everything right, but she understood politics and economics.

6. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy...swashbuckling hero and romantic, romantic, romantic.

7. Emma by Jane Austen...yes, another Jane Austen book, but every time I read this I am amazed by her cleverness. Caveat: in my opinion you have to read this book at least twice to get the full impact. You don't see Emma's blunders coming the first time through because Jane Austen wrote the novel from Emma's point of view (even though it is in third person), and therefore you don't see much humor. Upon subsequent readings, though, you see all the hints Jane Austen drops along the way and realize that she is a comic genius. Tip for your first time through: Emma is almost always wrong and Mr. Knightly is almost always right.

8. The Mitford series by Jan Karon...I love Father Tim and all the other residents of Mitford.

9. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith...though the setting is Botswana and entirely different than the small-town America setting, this series reminds me of the Mitford books and their character, rather than plot-driven stories. If I were in a bind, I would want the "traditionally built" Mma Ramotswe in my corner.

10. The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (One for the Money, Two for the Dough, etc.). These books make me laugh. Hard. Seriously, I think I have almost injured myself and/or passed out from lack of oxygen.