I had a lot of trouble trying to decide which books I wanted to bring with me on vacation. I was hoping to get a little reading in on the drive, as my hubby will be driving, and also I really enjoy reading a tiny bit in bed every night before I fall asleep. I decided I was in a Doctor Who mood, so I settled on packing two Doctor Who novels and a book of quotes (which I love reading in bed at night). I am thinking one novel for the trip down, one for the trip back, and the book of quotes for my nighttime reading. I am sure once the trip gets started my reading wont go as planned, so I am sure it is quite ambitious for a week that will be filled with four days of Disney World, a day at Sea World, and other fun stuff. I foresee exhaustion beyond abilities to read! Though I am posting this (a tad early) for Sunday Reads, this is basically what I will be diving into every now and then all week when I find some down time. So my Sunday Reads will consist of one (or a little bit of all three) of these novels. Doctor Who is just plain fun, which will help get me into the mood for lots of family time!
Well, this week has been extraordinarily busy for me. Both of my girls auditioned for a play on Monday, both receiving a part in the play that was performed on Friday. That means the week was filled with rehearsals, rehearsals, and more rehearsals. The play was Blackbeard the Pirate, though probably not the Blackbeard we all know, but a much more fun (child friendly) Blackbeard, who learned the important lesson that the best treasures are not found in a box. After the week being saturated with the high seas and mermaids, I was very much desiring a good nautical adventure book. I browsed the library, and even our small local used book store, leaving both empty handed. Either I am terrible at finding what I want in a room filled with books, or finding a lighthearted pirate/sea adventure is hard to come by. Either way, I was a tad disappointed until I returned home and realized I already own a few books that revolve around the sea. I picked up 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a tale I have started (and loved what I read), but have yet to finish. I restarted the book on Friday, and am being flooded with how wonderful Jules Verne can share such an adventure! Most of us know the general plot of this story, whether we have read it or not. It is one of those tales like Pride and Prejudice, where everyone knows the story. Everyone knows who Elizabeth Bennett is, just as they know who Captain Nemo is. But I love how the very beginning of this tale is told in a way that pulls you into all the excitement and wonder of this unknown large creature propelling through the waters, making you forget for a while that you already know what it is. This book is just beautiful, from the colors of the covers to the illustrations printed here and there. There is even a beautiful shell printed at the beginning of each chapter! Needless to say, this will be my Sunday read...
This week I have had Richard Paul Evans The Christmas Box trilogy sweeping through my mind. My husband gave me a nice paperback copy of all three books in one on our very first Christmas together, almost 13 years ago. I then went on to pondering a lot about this book, as this is a book that comes to my mind a lot, and I've noticed it always seems to during the summer. So I was asking myself, why is that? I realized that I love Christmas stories. I am drawn to Christmas stories (I've even manage to acquire a lot of random childrens Christmas chapter books). There is just something about Christmas tales that attract me. I've noticed a lot of avid readers go through a phase each year where they desire to read middle grade books. Apparently I have discovered for me, it is Christmas tales. Of course I love them at Christmastime. For many years I even created my own tradition of writing a new Christmas short story to pass out to family and friends for Christmas. But, I also always seem to crave some sort of a Christmas tale around this time of the year. And as Richard Paul Evans' trilogy is a special book to me and always available on my shelf, that is the book that is pulled down to fill that need (and the book I always shove into my purse when we evacuate for a hurricane). I admit that I have read The Christmas Box many times, but I have yet to reread the entire trilogy as a whole. I am sort of in the mood to do that right now. (I always get so ambitious when it comes to reading books, but so many books grab for my attention all at once). There is just something magical about Christmastime, and how the focus of tales revolve around the good nature of people and tending to those around us. It is just one of those moments every year that leaves me thinking....anything could happen. It is a time when adults and children connect and break through that age barrier and when the lines of reality and imagination are blurred. I think for me in general, Christmas isn't necessarily anything religious, but more spiritual in how it is a reminder that realities can be more than what we think, and simply that people matter. I think that tends to be a message that I love hearing and being reminded of, that tends to be fulfilled through movies and magical tales in books. So, I am thinking I will be enjoying some nice hot chocolate today while I dig into The Christmas Box, and maybe work on a jigsaw puzzle with my daughters.
This weekend has been a pretty slow, non-productive weekend. After my daughter has her Remicade, we usually just have a slow indoor weekend to allow for some relaxing and resting. So this Sunday I will be continuing to enjoy The Official Quotable Doctor Who (which I am in love with), Beowulf, and I may slightly dig into the first book in The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Other than that, I think I will be joining my husband and daughters in a little online Star Wars gaming fun and possibly a movie. I've been craving to watch Chocolat lately. Here's a trailer of this lovely movie:
I was searching online last night to see if Charlotte's Web was actually a public domain book, and stumbled upon a free android phone app that is basically the book in its entirety. So I had the pleasure of beginning this book early this morning when I awoke with a bit of insomnia. So, today I will probably be reading a lot more if Charlotte's Web and continuing on in my journey with Inkheart. Aside from that, I am going to try to crochet up a sunglasses case for a new pair of sunglasses. My previous ones got broken as they rolled around in my purse, and the lenses were just crazy smudged that would never clean off. I am hoping to try and keep these new ones in better condition (however my last ones did last me about 3 years or so).
What are you reading this Sunday? Feel free to share in the comments below, or leave a link to your own post for me to check out!
