The Power of a Gift

This months in between question was taken from Booking Through Thursday. (Who's link I've added at the bottom of the side bar.)

What, if any, memorable or special book have you ever gotten as a present?
What made it so notable? The person who gave it? The book itself? The “gift aura?”

I don't know if it qualifies as a "gift", but my mother "gave" me my great grandmothers books that she had handed down to her. Two are primary school books with stories like Pandora's Box in them, and one is her VERY OLD copy of Gone With the Wind. Their bindings are totally falling apart. I rarely read them, because I am afraid they will disintegrate faster. But they mean the world to me and that copy of Gone With the Wind is what started my love and fascination with the classics.

So do you have a favorite "gift" book? Why does it mean so much?

Some Extra Time

After reading the comments about how far everyone is on Anna K...  and seeing what book was chosen for June, I've decided to push our discussion back two weeks. 

The Red Badge of Courage will be our next selection and it's not very long so I think that most of us can easily read it in a few weeks.  So our next book selection discussion will happen on Friday, June 19th instead of the 5th. Hopefully this will help everyone to finish it without any stress. (We will still discuss ..Red Badge... on July 5th.)

Happy Reading!

Will We Be Able To Finish?

Hi all,

I was emailed today by a member of the club who, due to personal circumstances, isn't sure they will be able to finish May's book in May.  They have read the book before, so they don't want everyone to change their plans just for them, however, I am currently on chapter 7.  So I thought I'd put my feelers out there and see how everyone else is doing.

Are you plugging right along?  Will you be ready for a discussion on June 5th?

Are you struggling with a book that's every bit as large as Moby Dick?  Do we need to give ourselves an extra month, or even two weeks to finish the book?

My opinion is that I can handle it either way. (Whatta cop out I know.)  

I have already decided to continue our current theme through part of 2010, so adding one more month to the books I have planned isn't going to be a big deal.  

I also know, that one or two quiet Sunday's after church will get me caught up on my reading, so I can still start a discussion on time if that's what everyone wants to do.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

(And don't forget to leave your thoughts on Around the World in 80 Days, and vote for June's book.)

All Around the World

You all have my sincerest apologies for the late post this month. Our computer went down on Monday and I didn't get it back until today. Thank you so much to those of you who emailed me. I very much appreciate that you cared about my well being. We are fine, we just weren't able to use the computer. So now that you've waited long enough... here is my short thoughts on Around the World in 80 Days.

Whoa, did Disney take liberties! This book was much different than the movie I've seen, which was my only experience with this story yet.

I did think that it was a fun, fast moving story though. I was a little worried before I started the book, because I've read Journey to the Center of the Earth; and while my son and I found it to be a fun story, it was very long, and full of very big words, and parts of it really dragged on. This one was much easier to read.

I was very intrigued by Phineas Fogg's personality. I admired Fogg's calm and forgiveness throughout the trip. I really admired and was thankful for his bravery and humanity, in reference to Aouda and Passpartout, when they needed rescuing.
It made me incredibly upset at how Disney made him such a scatter brained proffesor/scientist. They took all of the chivilry and good character lessons out of the story.

I loved that Aouda was able to see past his sometimes cold-ish properness, and that they were able to get their "happily ever after"- ending up together.

I found the story easy to read. I found it to pace at the same speed as the story. It moved very quickly, just like their whirl-wind trip. The only time I felt the story dragged was for a short time when they were on the train, in America. And even then, that is the part in their trip that seemed slow to them.

I was surprised, and impressed, when Ogden, was mentioned and given credit as being huge for the railroad. (For those of you who don't know I live quite near Ogden, in Utah.) As well, when I saw there would be a chapter on Mormons, I was curious and nervous; both of which turned out to be warranted. I was pleasantly surprised in the parts that were right. (History of the LDS church migration etc.) and a little bummed out, but not at all surprised by the mistakes. (The words the missionary preached etc.)

I also liked/appreciated how it was all real modes of transportation during that time period. (Unlike some movies I've seen, and one of Jules Verne's other novels, Journey to the Center of the Earth, which is a bit far fetched for me.) I came out of it thinking that his trip really was possible. Which even with todays faster modes of transportation seems like quote a feat.

Poor Mr. Fix. I never did like him though. I realize that he thought he was doing his job, and even apologized at the end of the story. But because I knew that Fogg was innocent, I never could like him. Especially when he pulled a couple of things on Passepartout. (Like the getting him drunk and drugging him escapade.)

I hope that you all enjoyed this lighter classic as well, this last month. And I can't wait to read your interpretations.

*hugs to you all*