It been an eclectic month of reading in the Smith-King household. In fact, the librarian might start thinking I'm multiple personality or schizophrenic or something! The first of the books was by an old stand-by, Nora Roberts. She's always reliably entertaining. This was Three Fates
and it didn't let me down. I walked down the aisle at the library and this book just jumped into my bag - The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life: How to Sew a Sampler Quilt & 49 Other Pioneer Projects for the Modern Girl
. It was just so cute, but a little too precious for me to take seriously. It did have a couple of nice ideas in it for me. My favorite was about the joy of writing actual letters instead of relying on email or Facebook to keep in touch. I'm trying to to put this into practice. Lillian Beckwith is an author with whom I was completely unfamiliar, but I've fallen in love with her writing. She lived in the Hebrides and wrote about crofting life. It's a simple, beautiful life that Ken and I dream of often. Hills Is Lonely
is the non-fiction book about her experiences in the first year or so of living in the Islands. I recommend it highly! Island Apart
is a fictional story that is just so sweet and not what I expected.Also in the non-fiction aisle was The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist
. Written by an Australian about an American slave who became one of the most famous entertainers in the United States, it was completely fascinating. I can't believe I'd never heard of this man before and it completely whetted my appetite for biographies. Mom and I were talking about Elizabeth Berg and her beautiful writing. The Year of Pleasures: A Novel
was one I hadn't read before and it is gorgeous, heartbreaking, and uplifting. Everything a novel should be! And the last book from the library shows my growing and odd obsession with Beatrix Potter. At Home with Beatrix Potter: The Creator of Peter Rabbit
is a gorgeous book about her home in England's Lake District. I was never a huge fan of Peter Rabbit or any of her books, but I've fallen in love with her cottage and her life. She wasn't just a woman who drew silly little animals in vests and shawls, but was deeply passionate about her home and the land. I look forward to reading more about her...maybe even checking out Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunnnies! Tomorrow I'll go to the library for more books to keep me going another month. With the books, knitting, cooking, and cleaning, I really enjoy being a housewife. Who would have ever thought I'd make a decent housewife? I know Mom and Aunt Deb have to be shocked!
Sorry this is a weird post, I'll do a proper one soon.
Love,
Courtney
