New books for the fall

New books from the bookstore, library, on-line, or borrowed from my mom without asking:

YA

A Door in the Wall - We read this Newberry Award winning book in 6th grade. That's when we learned that the monks were the ones who wrote out the books because there were no printing presses and mostly everyone was illiterate. Mrs Meaney also taught us how to do fancy lettering including the super fancy first letter on a page, like in the book. I loved this. And the book was good enough to make me want to re-read it today before work. It's pretty fun. I love all things old British.

Robin Hood - I wrote about my revived fascination with Robin Hood back in the spring, after I started watching the BBC television series. I had an abridged version from a library book sale at Tufts in Weymouth but I got the full thing at Pazzo. Notice a theme with my children's book choice? 1 heart merry old English tales.

Non-fiction

All That Is Solid Melts into Air - I read most of the essyas in this book when I took the Symbolism course at UMaine but I didn't purchase this book. I just got it from the library. I kept meaning to buy it since back in 2006 but kept forgetting until last week.

Literary Essays of Ezra Pound - The copy I have from the library is almost overdue, so I had to purchase my own copy.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Kara sent me the children of Henry and the Elizabeth I bio by Alison Weir. Mom had this book in her personal library, so I borrowed it without asking the other day. Again, I love all things old English, especially all things Tudor (as discussed here previously) so this goes with that passion.

More later...

Book Recommendation - Elizabeth the Queen

Elizabeth the Queen by Alison Weir

A while back, just because she's a good friend, Kara sent me a bunch of Alison Weir history-of-the-Tudors books. I was watching the BBC 70s miniseries on Elizabeth I incessantly - I had borrowed it from the beautiful Old Town Public Library. (Thanks again, Steven and Tabitha King Foundation, for such giving something the Orono people could be jealous of, which is my favorite thing about Old Town. That and the significantly cheaper rent from Orono (for those who can deal with the smell of cabbage...)

Well, I have been reading Elizabeth the Queen on and off for about a year now, and just finished it. I thought it would help me get to bed. Yeah right. (Like, 15 people I know are insomniacs right now. Do you suppose that we're all a little messed up from the DLST? Or is it just life?)

Elizabeth is quite the historical figure. She was complicated. I can't say I was happy when, at the end of the book, the last "success" of her reign was defeating the Irish. But, Ireland is currently kicking everyone's ass, economically speaking, in Europe and the world at large, so karma and stuff.

Despite all the complications, the decidedly non-democratic ruling, and the oppression of the Irish - to name a few tyrannical ickies about QEI- I still think she was one of the best world rulers ever. I mean, it's been over 400 years and they're still writing books and movies about her and her family. That in itself is something.

As to Alison Weir, I think she does a fantastic job of weaving story, time, facts and details. I marvel at the daunting task of putting a compelling, cohesive book like that together. Good times. Good times.

Now, on to some other book to read 4 pages of before going to bed every night...But which one?

night night

I'm such a trendsetter

Honestly, I am such a trendsetter. No sooner did I write my blogs about my love for all things Tudor, than Time magazine does a three page spread on their growing reprisal.

Apparently, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johannson (not my fave) are playing the Bolelyn sisters in an upcoming movie.

My cousin, Cate Blanchett, will be playing the Queen again as a sequel to "Elizabeth."

And Time wrote about the Tudor series on Showtime that I blogged about a smidge ago.

MAJOR TANGENT: Ooo, watching "Countdown" with Keith Oberman right now. A Portland, ME guy named Eric Taylor is the "worst person in the world."

He divorced his wife but never paid alimony. He owes 700,000+. His ex-wife is dying of cancer. He said, "The only reason why I agreed to the terms of the divorce is because the lawyers said she wouldn't live that long." Awesome.

No seriously. Awesome.

Anyway, Tudor fever is in the air, which is nice. I'm thinking cake and ale on Shakespeare's Birthday, April 23.

Elizabeth I

I think I mentioned that I'm reading Alison Weir's "The Life of Elizabeth I." (In addition to a zillion other books, as ever.) Kara got it for me from some Amazon seller last year because in our group emails I had mentioned that I had spent a weekend watching the BBC "Elizabeth R" series from the 70s. This isn't to be confused with the recent BBC "Elizabeth I" starring Helen Mirren, which I'm sure is fantastic. It's on my movie list.


Anyway, Kara loves the Tudors, too, especially as told by Alison Weir. After this, I'm going to finally read my "Mary, Queen of Scots" by Antonia Fraser. I bought it at Lippincott Books in Bangor. Open the door carefully, as the cat may get out.


Once I'm done with that, I will move on to "A Man on a Donkey." This is a book that Sadie bought me for Christmas two years ago, after she read it. It is also an Elizabethan era book, but this one is fiction. It is, however, just like "Elizabeth" and "Mary" in that it is gargantuan in size.


As I read "Elizabeth", I keep thinking that it would be so much fun to write a sort of "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" only have some Maine or Mass high schooler in Elizabethan Court.

I also wonder what I would be like if I were born then. What would I be? I'd want the freedom of a "barmaid" without the work obligations (wink, wink). How about being someone like Emma Thompson's character in "Howard's End," even though that was the beginning of the 20th century...that head maid position was around back then, wasn't it? Because I doubt I'd have been born into the upper class, simply because that population was so small. I like kids, so maybe I'd have been a wet nurse? Or a nanny? Without a middle class and without women's rights, I have no idea.

Unless I were born a dude, in which case I would clearly be from Stratford on Avon, born on April 23...

Did I just compare myself to Shakespeare?