Julie Davis's Blog, page 6

10 Books That Have Stayed With You

This began on Facebook, but I know of no reason why we shouldn't bring it into blogs and Goodreads where all the really good booktalk happens.

Rules: list 10 books that have stayed with you. Don't take more than a few minutes; don't think too hard. They don't have to be great works, just the ones that have touched you. Here's mine, in no particular order.

1. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
3.The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold
4. Death Comes as the End - Agatha Christie
5. The Franchise Affair - Josephine Tey
6. Little Dorrit - Charles Dickens
7. Only You Can Save Mankind - Terry Pratchett
8. While We Still Live - Helen MacInnes
9. The Hiding Place - Corrie Ten Boom
10. One Door Away From Heaven - Dean Koontz

I didn't know this was a dream of mine until I read it...

In the future, when Joss Whedon and I are best friends and hanging out together in my tree fort, I hope Neil Gaiman comes over too. Because then the three of us will all play Settlers of Catan together. And I will win, because I'm really great at Settlers of Catan. But I will also be very gracious about it, and apologize for putting the bandit on Gaiman's wheat twice in a row.

Then we will make smores, and I will toast a marshmallow with such deftness and perfection that they will be amazed and realize I am kinda cool. Then we will talk about Battlestar Galactica, and which Doctor is our favorite, and we will tell ghost stories late into the night.

From Patrick Rothfuss's review of
The Ocean At The End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Except in my dream we will be playing Baldur's Gate II. Which I am enjoying the heck out of, by the way. Anyway, other than that, exactly the same dream.

This is going into my quote journal. Absolutely.

A Podcast About Podcasts ... Many of Which Feature Audio Fiction

Check out the SFFaudio podcast where a group of us discussed some of our favorite podcasts. There are a lot of good listening suggestions, many of which feature excellent audio fiction readings.

"Lor! Wasn't it prime!"

I have mentioned my liking for Mr. Pancks in Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. Another favorite of mine is Maggy.

"Now, Little Mother, let's have a good 'un!"

"What shall it be about, Maggy?"

"Oh, let's have a Princess," said Maggy, "and let her be a reg'lar one. Beyond all belief, you know!"

Little Dorrit considered for a moment; and with a rather sad smile upon her face, which was flushed by the sunset, began:

"Maggy, there was once upon a time a fine King, and he had everything he could wish for, and a great deal more. He had gold and silver, diamonds and rubies, riches of every kind. He had palaces, and he had —"

"Hospitals," interposed Maggy, still nursing her knees. "Let him have hospitals, because they're so comfortable. Hospitals with lots of Chicking."

"Yes, he had plenty of them, and he had plenty of everything."

"Plenty of baked potatoes, for instance?" said Maggy.

"Plenty of everything."

"Lor!" chuckled Maggy, giving her knees a hug. "Wasn't it prime!"

I particularly love the way Maggy, her mind permenantly that of a 10-year-old, works hospitals into any conversation where comfort is concerned, that institution being the most comfortable place she has ever been in her poverty-stricken life.

The way this story continues makes me think of Charles Dickens' own experience with his numerous tribe of kiddos. He had to be drawing on experience because it is so natural sounding and, often, so funny because of Maggy's tenacity on the points she finds most interesting.

My Inadvertent Participation in Banned Books Week

Not that I wouldn't gladly plan to defiantly read a banned book. "Take that, small-minded censors! Ha!" (And I'd flourish the book and toss my head and so forth.)

It's just that I didn't realize it was Banned Books Week until Dappled Things mentioned it. (They also hadn't realized it.)

Imagine my gratification at discovering I already was reading a Banned Book.

And then my consternation at discovering I was reading a Banned Book.

Someone banned or challenged The Lord of the Rings?

Oh, J.R.R. Tolkien, what have you wrought in The Lord of the Rings, to be thus summarily dismissed (or at least to have such a dismissal attempted)? Is it the elves? Is it the magic? Is it the hobbits? Is it the triumph of good over evil ... the use of seemingly unimportant people to do tremendous works of salvation? I'm stumped.

Though on a completely different tack than banned books, it's the first time I've read the whole thing this deliberately and slowly. Just taking in all the scenery on the way instead of dashing to the finish line of the great adventure. I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

A Lift for My Day: Forgotten Classics in the "What's Hot" iTunes podcasts

Granted, it is featured in the Literature category, a sub-set of the Arts category in podcasts.

Still, it was a decidedly wonderful surprise when I was skimming podcasts to see if some new interesting podcast has begun ... and I saw Forgotten Classics featured. Right in the same special spot as Scott Sigler, Grammar Girl, CraftLit, and The Classic Tales Podcast!

It's funny how little it takes sometimes to put a bright new gloss on the day. Right? A nice little treat along with the fun I've been having looking for a 1930's style science fiction / adventure type story which one of my regular listeners requested, "Something like The Green Girl."

It does keep it all fun, and that is the point after all ... along with doing all I can to tempt people to try some of these forgotten classics which I love.

It also goes to prove one might get noticed even if one is simply doing something for the fun of it. No one ever is going to read Mrs. Appleyard's Year aloud in the hopes of getting noticed. Charming and humorous, yes. Trendy? Not at all.

Mr. Pancks

I continue to be fascinated by how sharply Charles Dickens can draw minor characters. Mr. Pancks is one that I really enjoy as I work my way slowly through Little Dorrit. He is immensely practical and I really love the way he handles Mr. F's Aunt in this scene. She obviously has some form of senile dementia and he is completely unflustered while surprising the reader (or at least me) with his solution.

“Therefore Flora said, though still not without a certain boastfulness and triumph in her legacy, that Mr F.'s Aunt was 'very lively to-day, and she thought they had better go.' But Mr F.'s Aunt proved so lively as to take the suggestion in unexpected dudgeon and declare that she would not go; adding, with several injurious expressions, that if 'He'--too evidently meaning Clennam--wanted to get rid of her, 'let him chuck her out of winder;' and urgently expressing her desire to see 'Him' perform that ceremony.

In this dilemma, Mr Pancks, whose resources appeared equal to any emergency in the Patriarchal waters, slipped on his hat, slipped out at the counting-house door, and slipped in again a moment afterwards with an artificial freshness upon him, as if he had been in the country for some weeks. 'Why, bless my heart, ma'am!' said Mr Pancks, rubbing up his hair in great astonishment, 'is that you?

How do you do, ma'am? You are looking charming to-day! I am delighted to see you. Favour me with your arm, ma'am; we'll have a little walk together, you and me, if you'll honour me with your company.' And so escorted Mr F.'s Aunt down the private staircase of the counting-house with great gallantry and success.

Deathworld by Harry Harrison

You know those pulp sf stories you discovered when young?

And then got your kids to read because you knew they'd just love them?

And then were surprised by their comments about the plotting, motivation, and thinness of some of the characters? Which were right on target?

Yeah ... that's what we've got here with Rose's review of Deathworld. Which made me laugh several times.

Still, what is character development in the face of carnivorous plants, poisonous animals, murderous bacteria, and the perpetual threat of volcanic eruptions? I’m not going to read a book called Deathworld for characters talking about their feelings.

Exciting! Audible Membership Received for my Birthday

You've gotta love a husband who indulges his wife's obsessions ... mine being books and audiobooks in this case. Among many other wonderful gifts, Tom gave me a year subscription to Audible.

I have been having a wonderful time seeing what is available outside of my usual free-review-audio from SFFaudio. And what is not available from the Dallas library, which admittedly has a very good audiobook collection.

And there is the fact that we are going on a long car trip in July (and possibly in August), which encourages me to look outside my own specific interests to those we might both enjoy (such as Mindy Kaling's book ... believe it or not, we both really enjoy The Mindy Project - this would be like hearing her do standup or an audio version of her tv show). Mostly I'm looking at history, but I think he'd love The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara and I'd definitely enjoy rereading it.

But first, something for me ... oh the choices!

As I say, lots and lots of fun!

Sale on Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell

Head's up for anyone interested in evangelism and discipleship - Our Sunday Visitor is offering Sherry Weddell's _Forming Intentional Disciples_ for $10, free shipping, from now until May 31st. This is an incredible discount on a very worthwhile book.

This is conjunction with CatholicMom.com's Lawn Chair Catechism book club.

Saw this notice on Facebook from Jen Fitz.

A feeling of doom ... or perhaps one might be more polite and say fate ... swept over me.

I have seen this book mentioned again and again by bloggers I trust implicitly. The most recent was Melanie Bettinelli at The Wine Dark Sea.

Go.

Read.

It may not hit you the way it did me, but my heart was wrung thinking of this:

Nearly a third of self-identified Catholics believe in an impersonal God.[. . .] only 48 percent of Catholics were absolutely certain that the God they believed in was a God with whom they could have a personal relationship.

That's a heart breaker.

Now, why do I feel I need to read this book? Is it my job to form intentional disciples?

I don't know. I really don't.

But I don't think it can hurt to understand that a lot of folks aren't coming from the same place that I am, one of knowing God is intensely personal.

Plus, I can push it on my pastor and various other Church leaders. Because pushing things is what I'm all about, as we all know.

So I haven't read it, but I am passing along the news about the great savings in case you're interested. I can always push a good sale.