Rachel Kovaciny's Blog, page 107

Jane Eyre Read-Along: Chapter 15

One of the things I dislike about Mr. Rochester in this section of the book is his tendency to think of himself as a victim.  "Oh, poor me, I was wronged by my mistress," (never mind that having a mistress is a sin) "and my father tricked me into a terrible mistake when I was young," (never mind that he's been using that as an excuse to behave badly ever since) "and now I'm just going to pity myself to the end of my days, or I was, until I had this great idea of how to be happy," (which...

Jane Eyre Read-Along: Chapter 14

For days, Jane has little to do with Mr. Rochester.  Sometimes they pass each other, and she learns that he has very changeable moods.  Then he calls for her company again, along with Adele and Mrs. Fairfax, and thus begins a most extraordinary conversation.

I don't blame Jane for being a bit confused by him, do you?  I've read this book and know most of what he's talking about, alluding to, and planning, and I still get dizzy trying to keep up with his "deep and rather sarcasti...

"Girl Waits with Gun" by Amy Stewart

So... I didn't like this book as much as I was expecting to.  I liked it so much more!!!  I had read something about it somewhere a while ago (gee, can I vague that up for you a little?), and when I saw it at the bookstore last week, I said, "Aha!  That sounded good, I think," and bought it on a whim.  I almost never buy brand new books on a whim (you know what a cautious fellow I am), but I had a coupon...

Anyway.  Great book!  Really, really fun.  It concer...

Jane Eyre Read-Along: Chapter 13

When Jane says, "for my part, I liked it better" (p. 141) regarding Thornfield with its master at home, I muttered a hearty, "Hear, hear!"  Because my goodness, did this book just get FUN!  Almost this entire chapter is spent in spirited banter between Jane and Mr. Rochester.  How it delights me.

I do worry a little about Jane and her "heavy, unwelcome thoughts" (p. 142), though.  There's that little thread of depression or trauma or whatever, popping up again.  Hooray...

Top Ten Tuesday: Numbers Game

This week, The Broke and the Bookish have chosen the topic "Top Ten Books I Enjoyed That Have Under 2000 Ratings On Goodreads."  So, I consulted my (by no means comprehensive) Goodreads list and came up with these, which I'm arranging alphabetically by author (because I can!):


Jane Austen's England  by Roy and Lesley Adkins -- a comprehensive, thorough look at life in England during the time of Jane Austen.


Vendetta for the Saint by Leslie Charteris -- the first full-length Saint...

"Anne of Ingleside" by L. M. Montgomery

Erm.  So, my memory of this series just gradually becoming less and less enjoyable is kind of true when it comes to this book.  Not that it was bad, or completely boring.  It was just kind of... flat.  Some of Anne's many kids have adventures (her daughter Diana has basically the same adventure twice), but none of them are as winsome as Anne.  They're more like each one embodies a small piece of Anne's personality, and what makes me love Anne so much is that she's com...

Jane Eyre Read-Along: Chapter 12

Jane settles nicely into her calm, comfortable life... and gets bored.  So very bored.  Jane, honey, it's not like you've had a calm and comfy life up to now -- why are you bored so quickly?  Is it just so weird and different?  No one's beating you or humiliating you or starving you, so life is now too dull?

Sigh.

However, here to rescue Jane from domestic dullness, and us from a suddenly whiny narrator, we have Mr. Rochester.  At last.  Finally.  My goodness,...

Jane Eyre Read-Along: Chapter 11

We're at Thornfield Hall!  We're at Thornfield Hall!  ::Cue lots of excited bouncing::

Um.  Yes.  I have been known to just start the book here.  When I'm pressed for time and need a dose of Jane + Rochester.  I've read the middle section and the very end probably half a dozen times more often than I've read the whole book.

Ahem.

Anyway!  This is a longer chapter, but I figure lots of people will have a long weekend coming up if they need to catch up.  SO...

Books I Won't Let My Kids Grow Up Without -- Middle-Grade Fiction

I'm finally continuing my series of posts on books that I feel are essential for my kids to read, or at least try.  My list for Junior Fiction is here, and I intend to do lists of picture books, early readers, and YA in the future, as I have time.

This list is of what I think of as "Middle-Grade Fiction," books aimed at kids around ages 11-14.  Obviously, some kids might be ready for this level before age 11, and continue to enjoy these after they're older than 14.  I've read s...

Jane Eyre Read-Along: Chapter 10

We're leaving Lowood!  We're leaving Lowood!  La la la la la la!

I love those "gentlemen of rather more enlarged and sympathizing minds" (p. 99) who put an end to Mr. Brocklehurst's tyrannical, hypocritical rule at Lowood, don't you?  I'm very fond of people who can "combine reason with strictness, comfort with economy, compassion with uprightness (p. 99).  Come to think of it, that rather describes the person I'm always striving to be.  

Miss Temple married "a clergyma...