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I can’t remember every being crazy in love with any Prince Charmings of the Disney variety when I was very young. I did read Fairy Tales (my favorite was Rumpelstiltskin — I always loved that they got the better of him), but didn’t start getting super into the Disney versions until they revamped them in my late elementary school/ early middle school years (the early nineties, when Disney became cool again — and even then, I cared not so much for the princes as for the leading ladies; Belle and Ariel being my faves). Instead, I wore out my copies of Annie and Two of a Kind (John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, anyone?), as well as all of the John Hughes movies that were probably much too mature for me to be watching (older brothers controlling the remote control, anyone?). That said, Jake Ryan was probably my ultimate idea of a Prince Charming. This scene will forever be etched in my head as the most romantic (even if it was filmed when I was only three; it happened to be filmed at the church up the street from where I lived at the time, and I clung to that!).

In my version of grown up fairy tales (Jane Austen books) I have to say that it is Mister Knightley that captured my heart the most. The steady, mature, familiar Mister Knightley who always seems to do the right thing. Perhaps it’s because I relate so much to Emma (while others always seem to favor Elizabeth Bennett), her well-meaning but often too strong opinions, her devotion to her family, her countless lessons in being wrong. In fact, my favorite part is when Mr. Knightley scolds her, after the picnic… “Badly done, Emma. Badly done.” The first time I encountered that scene, I was in love. A man who was strong enough to tell her when she foiled something, but also to love her anyway… all her faults intact. There is nothing boring about his sensibility – and if you’ve seen the newest BBC version of the story, you know he looks like Johnny Lee Miller… not too shabby.

Who is/was your favorite “Prince Charming”?

Come read my thoughts about how today’s vampires are the new Prince Charmings. (link will be live at 6:15 am PST)

The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
paperback 675 pages

*****

You’ll be nervous, outraged, very sad, incredibly glad, frustrated, and enthralled by this almost 700 page book.

After hearing marvelous things about this book for the past couple of years, I finally decided to take the plunge (literally, it’s quite long) and read it. This is a book that needs time to be read, not only because it’s long, but because there are many layers (both historically and emotionally). It took the author ten years, and grand amounts of research to create this book – so the reader should expect no less than an epic story. Don’t let this scare you off, just know that you’ll be swept into Victorian London (and New York City) and taken for an emotional, but entertaining ride. You may also want to have wikipedia near-by for those times when your interest is so piqued that you want to learn more.

From the years of Jack the Ripper to almost the turn of the century, we are taken on Fiona Finnegan’s journey from the poor neighborhoods of East End Victorian London, to a rapidly growing New York City. The beginning of this book is not for the light-hearted… it’s a dark start and if you don’t feel a bit depressed reading it you might want to check your pulse. Just keep reminding yourself that it’s for a reason – we must feel the desperation in Fiona’s life to be able to appreciate what comes next in the story. You will be wishing for a time machine to bring you back to the late 1800′s, but since there are none you can settle for reading this book.

Want to see more eye candy? Check me out over on BookRiot today – I’m still in (pretend) wedding planning mode. This week: The Decorations. (link will be live after 6:15 am PST)

Cath Kidston Book Bags

Welcome to the A Moveable Feast read-a-long! We’re reading this book through February. You can see the reading schedule and guidelines on the Starting Post Page.

Week Three: Read to “Ezra Pound and His Bel Esprit”

Discussion:

So, this ENTIRE week was basically about Fitzgerald. Hello to those of you who did the The Great Gatsby read-a-long last month, was this not interesting?!!

I’m not sure if Hemingway was in love with Fitzgerald, jealous of him, revered him, or felt sorry for him; possibly all of the above. Let’s look at some (light and funny) hypocrisies first shall we?

• Hem called Fitzgerald “pretty.” Um, in my opinion Hemingway was far prettier than Fitzgerald. Did he not have a mirror? I know he said it was because Fitz was fair, but please… look at Hemingway’s pretty little face on the cover of the restored edition!
• Hem called Fitzgerald an alcoholic. “Hello, Kettle? You’re black.” (And I know everyone was an alcoholic back then in today’s terms… but Hem drank more than his fair share.) A drink with each meal (European style as Hem calls it) is one thing; pounding back the bottles of wine along the drive back up to Paris is quite another. It’s a miracle anyone survived back then if that’s how the driving went (with no seat belts, no less)… even if cars didn’t go as fast as they do now-a-days.

‘Ernest, don’t youthink Al Jolson is greater than Jesus?’

Nobody except Pauline thought anything of it at the time. It was only Zelda’s secret that she shared with me, as a hawk might share something with a man. But hawks do not share. Scott did not write anything any more that was good until after he knew that she was insane.

See you next week for the finale!

Who’s Reading Along:

** Please don’t forget to come to this blog each Friday and share your thoughts in the comments section of the weekly A Moveable Feast discussion (see below for more information).**

Diane@BibliophileBytheSea
Susan E
JacquelineM
Walkie Talkie Book Club
Annie @ButteryBooks
Jenn O. @ Lit Endeavors
Sally
Jean Brown
Reese M.
Ashley J.
Peggy.Joan
Staci@LifeintheThumb
Johanna
Ashley W.
Meg @ A Bookish Affair
Jill
gingkoseto
June
Margot
Tina B
Reba T.

Friendly Reminders:

• If you are participating and I don’t have you on this list, please let me know in the comments section. I did not include people who said ‘maybe’ so if you have changed your mind and are definitely reading along with us, let me know so I can add you. Also, if you are not going to be able to join us anymore please let me know and I will take you off the list. 
• Comments from the previous week’s reading will be closing Thursday afternoon (before the next discussion takes place on Friday). If you would like to be part of the discussion, please remember to comment before then. 
• Each week, on Friday, share your thoughts about the previous week’s reading. If you are stuck on what to comment about, you can respond to my post or others’ comments. Regardless, you MUST check in each week (two weeks without a response and you will be taken off of the list — see below for details on why). You may have only one “off week” (which may not be the last week of reading for obvious reasons) and still be kept on the list, but you must let me know in the comment section by saying something like, “I’m catching up,” or “I’m still reading.” ***for all week’s discussions please refrain from posting ahead, even if you have read ahead, as to not spoil the book for others***
• If you go for two weeks without commenting in my weekly update comments section, I will assume you are no longer participating and will take you off of the list (*NEW GUIDELINE*, in order to get back onthe list, you need to a.) Have missed no more than two weeks of discussion, b.) Let me know you would like to be on the list again, and c.) consistently be part of the discussion for the next two weeks after requesting to be put back on the list.). This is in no way to be discouraging, but helps to keep the read-a-long organized (and helps me remember who’s completed what read-a-long…there (ahem) might be something fun for different levels of participants at the end of the year! Thanks!

Some Facts About the Read-a-Long:

• You do not have to be a book blogger to join.
• We will be reading the book in March, April, & May (13 weeks), with the first discussion happening on Friday, March 2nd / the book is 817 pages (paperback, Barnes and Noble Classics edition) so that’s roughly 9 pages a day.
• Don’t be intimidated. We will be going at a slow pace and discussing the book throughout our reading. The discussions are quite fun, and make the reading process very enjoyable!

What is Bleak House about?  

Often considered Charles Dickens’s masterpiece, Bleak House blends together several literary genres—detective fiction, romance, melodrama, and satire—to create an unforgettable portrait of the decay and corruption at the heart of English law and society in the Victorian era.

Opening in the swirling mists of London, the novel revolves around a court case that has dragged on for decades—the infamous Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit, in which an inheritance is gradually devoured by legal costs. As Dickens takes us through the case’s history, he presents a cast of characters as idiosyncratic and memorable as any he ever created, including the beautiful Lady Dedlock, who hides a shocking secret about an illegitimate child and a long-lost love; Mr. Bucket, one of the first detectives to appear in English fiction; and the hilarious Mrs. Jellyby, whose endless philanthropy has left her utterly unconcerned about her own family.

As a question of inheritance becomes a question of murder, the novel’s heroine, Esther Summerson, struggles to discover the truth about her birth and her unknown mother’s tragic life. Can the resilience of her love transform a bleak house? And—more devastatingly—will justice prevail? (via goodreads.com)

Interesting tidbits about the author, Charles Dickens:

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Hampshire, England, and spent the first ten years of his life in Kent. When Dickens was ten, the family moved to London. His father, a naval pay clerk, was a spendthrift and eventually lost all the family’s money, sending him, his wife, and their eight children to debtors’ prison. When Dickens was twelve, his mother forced him to live apart from the family by himself for three months, at which time he worked at a blacking factory (blacking is a kind of soot used to create black pigment for such products as matches and boots) to help support the family. Along with the other children at the factory, Dickens pasted labels on bottles, an experience he hated and one that affected him deeply throughout his life. His experiences at the factory, as well as his family’s experiences with poverty and debt, spurred a passionate interest in social issues and reform… (more)  (from spark notes.com)

Please let me know in the comments section of this post if you are interested! Hope you’ll join us, the more the merrier! Below is a break down of  the reading schedule. Friday, February 24 will be the official starting day for reading, so if you’re joining you’ll want to grab your books by then (as our first discussion will happen the following Friday, March 2nd). Please take care to sign up with the name you are using for the rest of the read-a-long. 

If you are choosing to join us after this week, you have until the second week to do so – please keep in mind that you must be caught up and able to comment about the story by the end of the week that you are joining to be added to the list.

***

The following is the reading and posting schedule for this read-a-long. Please note, we will be reading roughly 63 pages per week (about 9 pages a day). I have excluded the introduction (as it will be different with each edition). Because it is always easier for us to stop at chapters (rather than on page numbers, because of different editions), I’ve had to round to the nearest chapter each week. This means that some weeks are longer than others, but I’ve tried to keep it as close to 9 pages a day as possible. Please look at the week’s page amount to best plan your reading in order to keep up. 

Note: I am reading from the Barnes & Noble Classics edition and my discussion posts will be based off of this version. You by no means need to read from this version, but if you are deciding which edition to read, I find these the best editions for classic works as the notations are on the same page as the reading (and they translate any foreign language throughout the book). They also have informative endnotes and introductions.

Schedule:

Beginning Friday, Febraury 24th and ending Friday, May 25th.

READING SCHEDULE:

Week #/ dates :: Place in which to STOP

Week One/ February 24- March 1 :: Chapter 6
Week Two/ March 2-8 :: Chapter 10
Week Three/ March 9-15 ::Chapter 15
Week Four/ March 16-22 :: Chapter 20
Week Five/ March 23- 29 :: Chapter 24
Week Six/ March 30- April 5 :: Chapter 30
Week Seven/ April 6-12 :: Chapter 34
Week Eight/ April 13-19 :: Chapter 39
Week Nine/ April 20-26 :: Chapter 45
Week Ten/ April 27- May 3 :: Chapter 51
Week Eleven/ May 4- 10 :: Chapter 56
Week Twelve/ May 11-17 :: Chapter 61
Week Thirteen/ May 18-24 :: The End

POSTING SCHEDULE:

Post #/ date post should be up on blog:

Start up Post/ Today!
Week One/ March 2nd
Week Two/ March 9th
Week Three/ March 16th
Week Four/ March 23rd
Week Five/ March 30th
Week Six/ April 6th
Week Seven/ April 13th
Week Eight/ April 20th
Week Nine/ April 27th
Week Ten/ May 4th
Week Eleven/ May 11th
Week Twelve/ May 18th
Week Thirteen/ May 25th (Final Review)

** Please don’t forget to come to this blog each Friday and share your thoughts in the comments section of the weekly Read-a-Long discussion (see below for more information).**

How it Works:

1. Each week, on Friday, I will post my thoughts about the week’s reading. You will have from Friday through the following Thursday to post yours. If you are stuck on what to comment about, you can respond to my post or others’ comments. Regardless, you MUST check in each week (two weeks without a response and you will be taken off of the list — see below for details on why). You may have only one “off week” (which may not be the last week of reading for obvious reasons) and still be kept on the list, but you must let me know in the comment section by saying something like, “This is my off week — I am catching up!” Please note that your offering to the discussion must be about the current weeks’ reading, not about past weeks. ***For all week’s discussions please refrain from posting ahead, even if you have read ahead, as to not spoil the book for others***
2. As these Read-a-Longs grow, so do the amount of people who participate – yay, all the more fun!!! Also, all the more keeping track of who is still reading. As you know – if you have been absent from discussion for two weeks, you will be removed from the list. However, now, in order to get back on the list, you need to a.) Have missed no more than two weeks of discussion, b.) Let me know you would like to be on the list again, and c.) Consistently be part of the discussion for the next two weeks after requesting to be put back on the list. Am I trying to be mean? Absolutely not! I LOVE having you all read a long. It is, however, a lot of work to keep track of who’s still reading, and to keep taking names off and putting them back on the list. Most importantly though,  consistency is good for the group; we tend to get to know each other through discussions and rely on the conversation to keep us reading. I don’t do these read-a-longs to gain followers; I do them because the benefit of reading certain books with a group of dedicated people is often superior to reading them alone. But reading with undedicated people is worst of all, which is why I care less about numbers and more about dedication to the book and the discussions. (Bonus, at the end of the year I tally those who have done multiple read-a-longs and they get honorable mention on the Read-a-Longs page.)
3. If you are a blogger you may post a link to your blog if you are posting about each of the each week’s reading. If I, or other readers, have extra time we will gladly try to visit your blog; however, you must make sure to share your thoughts here on this blog, and be part of the main conversation or your comment will not be counted.
4. Comments from the previous week’s reading will be closing Thursday afternoon (before the next discussion takes place on Friday). If you would like to be part of the discussion, please remember to comment before then.

Via The Ideal Bookshelf

Visit BookRiot today to learn more about the artist who painted this, and what it has to do with YOU. 

please remember: the link won’t be live until 6:15 am PST

These Photographs by Joshua Radin

You’re Sylvia Plath
As you drift from the bath.
I hand you a robe
And so it goes,
The moment’ll pass.

You’re Simone de Beauvoir
As you get out the car.
The way you read me,
No one can see me
Is you are.

And these photographs keep me alive.

Babe, here’s your song.
Babe, it took too long
To find in your eyes
My best surprise.

You’re Nina Simone
When you talk on the phone.
You sing to me
And I’m truly
No longer alone.

You’re Mary Cassatt
When people tell you you’re not.
You’re like a child.
All the while
I need you a lot.

And these photographs keep me alive.

Babe, here’s your song.
Babe, it took too long
To find in your eyes
My best surprise.

And I wanna know what you know
And I wanna go where you go
These things remind me of
These things remind me of
These things remind me of you.

Babe, here’s your song.
Babe, it took too long
To find in your eyes
My best surprise.

I’ve recently recovered from the flu, so this week will be a bit different (working had no place in my recovery). Each day I’ll have a little something sweet for you to enjoy, but just a little something (until Friday, of course, because the A Moveable Feast read-a-long is still on like  donky-kong)…

Today I’ve started a new series over at BookRiot, which I’ll be doing for the next few Mondays. Bookish Wedding Planning! Am I getting married? You’ll have to read the series to find out (a hint: no). Seriously though, even if you’re not getting married (or have been married for 40 years) you’ll squeal over the fun bookish delights I’ll be featuring. PLUS, reading my BookRiot column means you get extra points in the I-Love-You bin.

Xx W

Bookish Wedding Planner :: The Invitations

Welcome to the A Moveable Feast read-a-long! We’re reading this book through February. You can see the reading schedule and guidelines on the Starting Post Page.

Week Two: Read to Chapter 17

Discussion:

I admit that I’m liking this book more this week, but I know why. It’s because of your influence. That’s what happens, though, and it’s why I love read-a-longs; I get to see a book through others’ eyes and the parts that I wouldn’t notice on my own are pointed out to me. I’m not necessarily liking his writing any more than before (save for the part about skiing… I could feel the crisp air on my face and the crunch under my skis), but I’m far more appreciating his information and first hand glimpse into an exciting era of a city that I adore. Now, let’s chat shall we?

How much do I wish I had read this book before going to Paris this last time? Infinitely much. Almost everything we’ve read (about Paris) so far has happened within walking distance of the hotel I stayed at. All of the restaurants being mentioned… still there! Right in that neighborhood on that very street (Blvd. du Montparnasse) for the most part. Some have become a little kitschy – tourist attractions. Others are still remarkable (possibly even nicer than they were in Hemingway’s day), like Le Dôme, the restaurant where Hem meets up with Pascin and the models. And when he talks about bumping into Joyce as they walked on Blvd. St.-Germain (one of my favorites in Paris) and then sitting together at Deux-Magots I squealed a little. I sat at a double table at Deux-Magot… was it there’s? Did my butt sit in exactly the same place that they were sitting? Is the banister to the loos below the same that was there in the 1920′s? (That’s the kind of crazy-weird stuff that I LUUURV about history and traveling and being exactly where people were ages before me). That said, make yourself a list of these places in the preparation for any possible trip you take to Paris. For reals, peeps.

I didn’t grow up in a time when I can remember how validated men felt by going to war. Though it is still an honorable thing to serve one’s country, it is not such a necessary step into manhood as it was for WWII and before. Watching movies, reading books, and from Hemingway’s line “In those days we did not trust anyone who had not been in the war,” I see what a difference the war culture has endured over the past century. I also see why Hemingway’s writing (in general) was so centered on war… it was the mark of a “real” man to have gone… and men weren’t the only ones who thought so.

According to Wikipedia, Hemingway’s chapter about Pascin and the models at Le Dôme is considered the most accurate description of the man (Pascin). Only a few years later he would kill himself (in 1930 at age 45), which Hemingway references at the end of the chapter in a haunting foreshadow of his own fate to come: “They say the seeds of what we will do are in all of us” (86). This quote struck me and made me pause to think… each of us has in us already what we will become. Kind of exhilarating, no?

The only time I’ve been attracted to Hemingway so far (although he really was a physically attractive man when he was young, wasn’t he?) was when he was walking home from his boxing match with Ezra Pound, which Wyndham Lewis was watching.

Walking home I tried to think what he reminded me of and there were various things. They were all medical except toe-jam and that was a slang word. I tried to break his face down and describe it but could only get the eyes…

(p. 89)

The fact that he was a thinking man, a man who dissected his visits and conversations in a way that is most often attributed to a woman, was actually very attractive to me. He’s someone whom one could have a good conversation with because he would have something meaningful to add (and by meaningful I mean an observant opinion). I like that in a person in general, but find it more often in women friends than in men. I by no means want to be sexist by saying that, but I do want to give him credit for this; and I find it interesting that an over-analyzing mind (a trait usually reserved to make fun of women) was such an important part of this noted sexist man. Just food for thought (and I realize an over-generalization in the process).

Hemingway goes on to tell us about the demise of his friendship with Stein in the chapter “A Strange Enough Ending”, although I didn’t really get what caused its death. Was it the way she was talking to whomever she was talking? Was he just looking for a reason not to be friends with her anymore? I really didn’t see the change in Stein that made him retreat. She seemed like the same old loud-mouthed grand-lady to me. Help please… do explain.

“The Man Who Was Marked for Death.” Ok, marked for death? He said this statement too many times for me to go back and count. What was that about? What was this chapter about? I.Did. Not. Get. It. Did you? Enlighten me if you can.

Did anyone else get a kick out of reading about Hem and Evan Shipman basically doing about Russian authors what we’re doing with Hemingway in the chapter “Evan Shipman at the Lilas”? Only 1920′s means I-have-no-cell-so-have-to-tell-the-landlady-that-I’ll-wait-indefinitely-for-you-to-have-bookish-convo-at-cafe-around-the-corner and the 20-teens means I-have-Internet-so-can-talk-to-anyone-about-anthing-anytime-I-want. I almost long for waiting at a cafe. Almost.

Is it just me, or did other people quadruple read the beginning of “Winter in Schruns” where Hemingway said their cat, F. Puss, babysat for baby Bumby while he and Hadley were out and about. I freaked out over that part. And before you try to say it, no… it’s not a sign of the time like babies chewing on lead-based paint toys before we knew it was bad or not being in car-seats before they were invented. I kind of can’t believe he admitted to this in a book that was written in hindsight (I wonder if Hadley was mortified when she read it, IF she read it). Then again, I kind of can’t imagine Hemingway not leaving his baby with a cat as a babysitter. Perhaps it was because they parented under the advice of the kind of doctor who would tell them that it was ok for Hadley to go skiing if Hemingway made sure she didn’t fall down. You know, Hemingway being God and all allowed for him to make sure this tragedy didn’t happen. (Thankfully it all turned out fine). Oy Hemingway, you’re killing me!

In this chapter we also learn that Hemingway took only six weeks to write The Sun Also Rises (and I read that it only took him eight to write The Old Man and the Sea). It takes people years to write books. I do wonder if those mythical short sentences you all keep telling me he writes had any help in getting them done so fast.

Oh my gosh, my heart! People, the last paragraph of this week’s writing! I want to know MORE. Is this what all of you Hemingway-lovers are taking about? This telling us just so much that we yearn to know more intimate details even though we can gather them from what he’s said??? I read this paragraph at least five times just to experience it over and over and really get what he was saying. He said it so quickly I almost passed it by, but it does seem like a little hidden love note, or apology if you will.

Hadley and I had become too confident in each other and careless in our confidence and pride. In the mechanics of how this was penetrated I have never tried to apportion the blame, except my own part, and that was clearer all my life. The bulldozing of three people’s hearts to destroy one happiness and build another and the love and the good work and all that came out of it is not part of this book. I wrote it and left it out. How it all ended, finally, has nothing to do with this either. Any blame in that was mine to take and possess and understand. The only one, Hadley, who had no possible blame, ever, came out of it finally and married a much finer man than I ever was or could hope to be and is happy and deserves it and that was one good and lasting thing that came out of that year.

Who’s Reading Along:

** Please don’t forget to come to this blog each Friday and share your thoughts in the comments section of the weekly A Moveable Feast discussion (see below for more information).**

Diane@BibliophileBytheSea
Nadia
Susan E
JacquelineM
Walkie Talkie Book Club
Annie @ButteryBooks
Jenn O. @ Lit Endeavors
Sally
Jean Brown
Reese M.
Ashley J.
Peggy.Joan
Staci@LifeintheThumb
Johanna
Ashley W.
Meg @ A Bookish Affair
Jill
gingkoseto
June
Margot
Tina B
Reba T.
B

Friendly Reminders:

• If you are participating and I don’t have you on this list, please let me know in the comments section. I did not include people who said ‘maybe’ so if you have changed your mind and are definitely reading along with us, let me know so I can add you. Also, if you are not going to be able to join us anymore please let me know and I will take you off the list. 
• Comments from the previous week’s reading will be closing Thursday afternoon (before the next discussion takes place on Friday). If you would like to be part of the discussion, please remember to comment before then. 
• Each week, on Friday, share your thoughts about the previous week’s reading. If you are stuck on what to comment about, you can respond to my post or others’ comments. Regardless, you MUST check in each week (two weeks without a response and you will be taken off of the list — see below for details on why). You may have only one “off week” (which may not be the last week of reading for obvious reasons) and still be kept on the list, but you must let me know in the comment section by saying something like, “I’m catching up,” or “I’m still reading.” ***for all week’s discussions please refrain from posting ahead, even if you have read ahead, as to not spoil the book for others***
• If you go for two weeks without commenting in my weekly update comments section, I will assume you are no longer participating and will take you off of the list (*NEW GUIDELINE*, in order to get back onthe list, you need to a.) Have missed no more than two weeks of discussion, b.) Let me know you would like to be on the list again, and c.) consistently be part of the discussion for the next two weeks after requesting to be put back on the list.). This is in no way to be discouraging, but helps to keep the read-a-long organized (and helps me remember who’s completed what read-a-long…there (ahem) might be something fun for different levels of participants at the end of the year! Thanks!