from the first word

Mere sentences in to reading C.J. Sansom's Heartstone, I was back in Henry VIII's London with Matthew Shardlake, the hunchback lawyer and solver of mysteries. Queen Catherine Parr has asked Shardlake to pursue the case of a former servant's son (now dead of a suicide?) who had filed a complaint in the Court of Wards against the adoptive family of the children he once tutored. When the Queen asks for a favor, one says yes so Shardlake takes the case even though he has no experience in the courts dealing with the orphaned children of the weatlhier classes. Shardlake is also investigating the mysterious background of a woman he has befriended--she is an inmate at Bedlam, the notorious "hospital" for the insane. Then there is the matter of the devalued currency caused by Henry raising taxes to fund a war against France, the impending birth of the child of Shardlake's assistance Barak (a former street ruffian) and his wife whose first child was stillborn. Shardlake is also dealing with the retired military man/martinet who has become his steward and bullies the other servants in Shardlake's home. This is just part of a complex and fascinating story filled with complex and interesting characters and unexpected twists and turns in the plot.

I am not a mystery fan but I devour the Shardlake stories. Matthew Shardlake is an intelligent and entertaining companion, very human and very frail (his hunchback gives him constant pain and he is often negligent of his back-strengthening exercises...sound familiar to anyone?). I can see the sights, smell the smells and feel the heat and humidity, unpleasant at the best of times but made more uncomfortable by the heavy robes and gowns required by the lawyer's trade. I resent any time when I'm not curled up in my chair or stretched out on my daybed, nose poked deep into the adventures of Matthew Shardlake.

I think I'll go spend some time with him right now!

the carrot dangling in front of my nose

My friend and traveling buddy JN has been dropping suggestions about a trip to Italy as in "take care of your knee, Carol, so we can go to Italy." Well, I took care of my knee and we are now starting to plan a trip to Italy in 2012. Being me, I have been out buying travel guides--I love travel guides and have oodles of them, some for places I've never been and will probably never see. Planning the trip is almost as much fun as taking the trip. Needless to say, I am one of those travelers with a long, long list of places I want to go and things I want to see and foods I want to eat...especially chocolate.

Frommers came out with a new series called day by day which is full of color picture, maps and little personal tidbits about the country/city it describes. I picked up the book about Italy and have been dipping into it whenever I have a few minutes. I now know a bit about soccer mania and famed players, a few words I need to know--arbitro is referee, portiere is goalkeeper (actually doorman); about the fashion industry in Milan (those of you who know me know what a fashionista/trendsetter I am...Ha!); about the Roman emperors Hall of Shame, featuring Caligula among others. This is just the kind of travel guide I love...lots of trivia and details which I can bore JN with when we're traveling. Isn't she lucky?

Fodors has started a new series called See It which is very similar but includes personal walking tours and things you need to notice for specific locations like Tivoli and Villa d'Este. Much more casual and personal than other travel guides. Also perfect for a few minutes of daydreaming whenever I can sit quietly for a little while.

From the reading I've done so far, I know I want to spend more time in Florence and the surrounding region (have to see David since he is on my life list). I need to see the Sistine Chapel (life list again) which will probably cause me to burst into tears...JN is used to that happening when we travel...with joy and disbelief (you should have seen me when I first saw the Taj Mahal...sobbing and incoherent...it was wonderful). JN longs for Venice which sounds great to me--credit card and Venetian glass are a perfect combination, don't you think?

perfect day

I managed to make an early escape from the reference desk on the first day of our new computer catalog system (whew!) thanks to a school visit to Garlough Elementary's 3rd graders. I visited 3 classes of terrific 8 year olds who greeted me with cries of "I remember you!" and "I remember when you read The End." Talk about feeling special when they remember something I did 2 years ago.

This time I read Kevin O'Malley's Once upon a Royal Superbaby which is a companion book to his Once upon a cool motorcycle dude. The story is told in the dialog of a boy and a girl, forced to work together on a school project: writing a fairy tale about a king and a queen. The boy's part of the story is full of laser guns, robots, motorcycles and a supermuscular baby named Strong Viper. The girl's version is about lovely Queen Tenderheart and her beautiful baby Sweet Piper and is full of unicorns, shopping, sweet birds and tender family moments. The book is a riot and tremendously fun to read aloud...if you're at all melodramatic (which I am in spades!).

The kids hung on every word, laughed uproariously and clapped when I finished. In other words, the perfect audience. I don't remember the public librarian ever visiting my school but I am so glad I get to do it, and with such a warm welcome from teachers and students alike. I love talking about reading and about all the cool programs at the library.

And I love Kevin O'Malley and his fun-to-share books!

Love at first word

Have you ever picked up a book and known, from the very first word, that you were going to love it? That's the way I felt about Mary Robinette Kowal's Shades of milk and honey which has been described as Jane Austen with magic.

Jane is the older (late 20s, oh my) of two sisters. Melody, the youngest sister, is fair of face and popular with the young swains of the neighborhood but her appearance is all that she has. Jane is sallow-complected with a prominent nose but she has a warm heart and is an accomplished "glamorist"--she can manipulate her surroundings magically to make them more appealing. With a few twist of the magical threads attached to everything, she can make a gentle and flower-scented breeze waft through a room, add the gentle music of bird song to a dinner party and more.

Melody is "in love" with the man next door, a feeling, unfortunately, shared by Jane. In hopes of gaining his favor, Jane acts as friend and teacher to his teenage sister who soon finds her true place in Jane's affections. Jane also attracts the grudging attention of a professional glamorist, hired to decorate the home of a noblewoman living in the area.

From such a simple beginning come elopements, reduced circumstances, unrequited love and all the other behaviors so amusing to society in early 19th century England.

Jane is a delightful companion, her plain-ness and lack of pretence make her oh-so-appealing. Do try to spend some time with her. You won't regret it!

a lovely little book

When reading book reviews, odd and unexpected things catch my eye. This is one of them.

While traveling in Europe, Elizabeth Tova Bailey picked up a virus that, over a period of time, almost totally incapacitated her. She was moved to a care facility for recovery and, while there, a friend of hers brought her a flower pot with a wild violet planted in it. On the bottom of one of the leaves was a snail. Watching the snail fascinated Ms. Bailey and she was soon full of questions about snails and their behavior. The result was The sound of a wild snail eating.

This lovely little book came from her observations and research about snails and they are, indeed, fascinating little creatures. Ms. Bailey kept her snail, moving it to a terrarium, until it had produced eggs (snails are hermaphrodites), becoming the proud father/mother of many, many offspring. Soon afterwards, the snail was returned to the forest, its original home.

Warm, graceful and gentle, this is a delightful bedside book. A few pages each night was a perfect transition from wakefulness to drowsiness. A lovely little book.

thank goodness I love to read

Today is 3 weeks since my knee replacement and my world is completely new: I can move without pain! Wonderful medical personnel, excellent physical therapists and a lot of hard (i.e., painful) work and I can walk. It is an extraordinary experience.

In the hospital and at transition care, every moment is spent in therapy (physical and occupational), having your "vitals" checked, giving blood or having someone bang on your door when you have finally gone back to sleep. Reading is not an option.

Being at home has completely changed that. Six hours of each day has to be spent in a CPM machine (which bends and flexes by leg--the kind of exercise I like since I just lie there and let the machine do its job) so I had 3 2-hour stretches of time for reading. Lovely.

I read The raging quiet by Sherryl Jordan, the story of a young widow in 15th/16th century England (Ireland?) who befriends the village mad man. She soon discovers that his wild behavior is caused by deafness and sets out to teach him to speak by using hand signals/movements. The prejudices of the villagers (who think she is a witch) are countered by the support and care of the village priest (who also has a soft spot for the mad man). A good read but not a great one.

Then came Madensky Square by Eva Ibbotson, the story of a clothing designer/seamstress living in pre-WWI Vienna. Susanna, a woman in her late 30s, decides to keep a diary of the one year's events in the neighborhood: the birth of yet another daughter to the family living across the square, the piano prodigy living in a dingy attic apartment waiting for someone to discover his talent, the eccentric old woman who gives her family treasure (meaning junk) to pay for new dresses, the military man who is Susanna's lover, Susanna's search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth by well-meaning nuns. Eva Ibbotson's writing has such an immediacy that you are right there in the midst of each event. I love her books! (She now writes children's fantasy which is also great fun.)

Now, I have given in and am reading what I wanted to read all along: Harry Potter! I am well into Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and loving every minute of it. J.K. Rowling has created such a wonderful, interesting, fantastic, humorous, frightening world and I enjoy every minute I spend at Hogwarts, even the terrible moments. Great fun.
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oh,what to read, what to read

The big day is Monday and my house is a disaster. I brought my suitcase up and am throwing things in it as I think of them. Packing for the unknown is such fun. I don't know how long I'll be away, where I'm going and when--this is not the way I live my life.

My over-riding concern is what will I read in the hospital. I have checked and rechecked my bookcases and this is what I've come up with (for now):

Notes from a small island by Bill Bryson

Madensky Square by Eva Ibbotson

A spoonful of jam by Michelle Magorian

The raging quiet by Sherryl Jordan

I think this is a nice mix of adult, light, cozy and fantasy. You never know what you'll be in the mood for, right?

I talked to my brother last night (he had his knee replacement surgery on September 13) and he said it's a little hard to concentrate on reading when you're in pain so I've decided to throw a couple magazines in the bag, too. Country Living, Victoria and Vogue (I buy the September issue each year because the fashions are so hysterically funny and totally unreal--highly amusing reading). I also have crossword puzzles, a pentominoes (I've been fascinated with those since reading Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer) travel game and an embroidery project (the skyline of New York which I've been working on for close to 20 years--it includes the World Trade Center).

That's the plan for now but there is still 48 hours until I start packing and who know what will happen between now and then.