Booking Through Thursday: Too Short

It's Thursday and for once I'm on time for the Booking Through Thursday meme. Today's question:

"Life is too short to read bad books.” I’d always heard that, but I still read books through until the end no matter how bad they were because I had this sense of obligation.

That is, until this week when I tried (really tried) to read a book that is utterly boring and unrealistic. I had to stop reading.

Do you read everything all the way through or do you feel life really is too short to read bad books?

Somewhere in my middle 40s I realized that there would not be enough time to read all the books that I want to read. After all, new books are being written every day; and there are still a lot of old books I haven't gotten around to yet. This has forced me to be more selective. If a book is too boring, I'll stop reading.

There has only been one book that I tossed because the main character was so vile, I couldn't stand it. I've read other books by this same author. They were okay (historical based fiction, which I like), but I decided to stop reading her books altogether.

Of course, some books contain a good story, but you have to wade through some really boring parts to get to it. ( Balzac's The Wild Ass's Skin- great story between the pages and pages of sermonizing on the meaning of life-ugh!) This book I actually put down and came back to a year later when I was in a better frame of mind.

How about you. Do you read every book to the end?

Booking Through Thursday: It's All About Me

As usual, I'm late with my response to the BTT post this week. I always forget, even when I remember. This week's question:

Which do you prefer? Biographies written about someone? Or Autobiographies written by the actual person (and/or ghost-writer)?

I enjoy reading biographies, but I prefer autobiographies written by the actual person. All writing is done through the filter of the writer's perception, so I don't know if readers can ever find an unbiased story. I do keep this in mind whenever I read about someone's life. And there is truly some fascinating writing out there.

Legwarmers Done

This morning I steam blocked the legwarmers for elder daughter. She is a petite woman, so the overall length is 19 1/2 inches. She intends to roll over the 3 1/2 " top ribbing at the knee.

Needles used: double pointed, sizes 6 and 8
Yarn: Patons Classic 100% Merino Wool

Cast on 52 stitches with smaller needles, and work in Knit 2, Purl 2 ribbing for 2 1/2 ".

I switched to larger needles for the rest.

The cable pattern is the "stitch plait" pattern from The Knitting Stitch Bible . It's worked over 18 stitches. The rest is stockinette stitch, then 3 1/2 " of K2, P2 ribbing at the end.

Simple and warm.

November

"No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!"

Thomas Hood

(1799-1846)

Booking Thursday: Blurbs

Something I’ve been thinking about lately: “What words/phrases in a blurb make a book irresistible? What words/phrases will make you put the book back down immediately?”

Today I realized that I choose books primarily because of interesting titles. For example:

• The Late Bloomer's Revolution: A Memoir. I chose this book because the title reminded me that my mother and aunts used to call me a late bloomer when I was growing up.
• All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India. Another memoir. How do fishes roost? How did an American come to live in India?
• The Wheel on the School. A children's book. I needed to know why there was a wheel on the school.

However, to answer this week's BTT question, I looked through the bookshelves to see what the blurbs actually say. The word I saw most frequently was lyrical. There was also honest, insightful, and epic. Another group of words that jumped out at me was funny, fast-paced, witty and entertaining romp.

What would not appeal to me are any blurbs about cancer or dealing with illness. Been there, done that, don't want to read about it.

How Do You Store Knitting Needles?

Jessi wanted some leg warmers. This is my first attempt. It's too small, so I started again with a cast on of 52 stitches. It needs to be a couple of inches longer too.


The year is not over, but I've decided to take inventory of my "fearless knitting" in 2009.

Knitted: 17 projects

• 1 pair of socks
• 1 lace shawl
• 1 baby sweater
• 7 cotton dishcloths/towels
• 3 feather and fan bag bags
• 1 entrelac scarf
• 2 felted hats
• 1 pair leg warmers

New skills learned this year:

• Making I-cords
• Reading a chart for lace shawl
• Entrelac

My favorite project this year was the lace shawl knit for my mother. The worst project turned out to be the one and only object that I crocheted: an afghan. I truly hated this. It turned out to be a very boring project.

The socks and two of the dishcloths I made for myself. Everything else I gave away. What's next? I'd like to make more socks and another shawl. We have a new grand-niece so I'll be making something for her soon. Another grand-nephew or niece is due in early spring. That makes two baby projects.

I really need to figure out a good storage system for knitting needles. One would think all a knitter would need is one set of needles in any given size. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

Say all my knitting projects could be made with size 8 needles. One pattern needs short needles, another needs long needles. The next project needs a 29" circular needle, a 16" circular needle and then a set of double pointed needles. Then of course some yarn is too slippery to use on aluminum needles. I must use wood or bamboo. Multiple that by all the sizes of needles truly needed for different projects and this is what you get:




This picture doesn't include the needles left in various project bags stashed here and there around the house. There must be a better way.

If you are a knitter, please share with me the needle storage system that works for you.

Book Review

Last week Barbara sent me a copy of The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini.

Over the years, I've read several sequels to Jane Austen's novels written by modern day authors. Today's book is not a sequel to Austen's Pride & Predjudice. Instead it is a modern day retelling of the same story.

Angelini uses some of the same characters: Elizabeth and Jane Bennett, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Charles Bingley. Even Elizabeth's parents, Tom and Fanny Bennett are here, remade as 1970s hippies.

In this updated version Elizabeth is an attorney, Darcy a judge. Do you see the advent of an ethical dilemma? Elizabeth and Darcy do their best to rationalize their behavior in the face of this dilemma, but in the end they feel guilty.

In the first several chapters Elizabeth's disdain for Darcy grows, while Darcy admires her more and more. When Darcy and Elizabeth finally decide that they like each other, the most startling difference in this new-told tale emerges. That is . . . sex.

I do not object to characters in a book having sex. But usually the scenes are maybe a page and a half long. Angelini's strength may be in her ability to write chapter after chapter after chapter of interesting and varied sex scenes. Readers may find themselves exhausted. It was a bit much for me. I wonder if Angelini will have anything new to write on the subject in her next book.

Before I read this book, I thought it would be a good one to pass on to my daughters. When I started telling the 27 year old about it, she said, "no thanks."

The 20 year old said, "Mom, I'm getting married. Send me the book." We were on the phone at the time, and I just know that she rolled her eyes when she said this.
Maybe after she's been married for 10 years, I'll be comfortable enough to send it to her. She'll probably enjoy it.