The Aura, or, Summer's Still Here

Summer. Summer.

It's speeding by. By today, the aura is definitely here: the End Of Summer aura.

The weather has stopped being beastly (humid and hot) and has started being amicable (sunny 70's-80's). Need I say more? :)

Last night, after the weekly church softball game, I sat on the car's bumper and studied the sunset, inhaled the scented air, and thought about how perfect God created summer to be. It's lovely.

Today, while playing tennis with my brother and a new friend, the sky was blazing blue and the sun was beating down. It was beautiful and fun, and - here it comes - very summer.

This is the summer I've never been readier for. Winter was hard and long, and the arrival of warmth and sun and greenery was balm.

It's a strange to have dreams come to a close that was always coming.

School starts in less than month. Within that month, I still have a lot of summer traditions to pull off: one more week at camp, camping with my family, day trip to Lake Superior, slumber party with my pals . . .

Sunday afternoon: Ivanhoe, Atlas Shrugged, and berries. Heaven on earth, I believe!

. . . oh, and I want to keep reading.

The other day, I cracked my algebra book and tried my hand at a few problems. After the pangs of treachery wore off, I found that I liked dealing with that topic of the fall/winter months. I can't wait for school to start . . . you'll probably be hearing more on that topic in the next few weeks.

The dilemma: Think/plan/dream wildly about the tantalizing future, or soak up/dwell in/simply exist in the very lovely present?

Both, maybe?

Friday Night Reads

I love Friday nights. Last night was a rainy and low key one, so I pulled several of my favorite reads off the shelves and hunkered down in my room to enjoy them to the fullest.

I go down the stack, opening one at random and reading a chapter. It's so fun to relive the books I love. Last night's selections:
The Goose Girl--Shannon Hale is such a fun author.
Peace like a River--Mmm. MMM. A joy.
Torn Heart--Ellyn's novel, one of my favorites.
The Princess and the Goblin --Good old-fashioned fairy tale.
The Scarlet Pimpernel--Another of the Bestest Novels Ever.
The Shining Company--A Sonlight favorite.

IronHeart and IronSpear--These remind me of Eragon.

The Rescuers--The Disney movie has nothing on the novel. Garth Williams illustrations!
The Thief Lord--Always makes me smile. :)
The Silver Branch--A Sutcliff I haven't read yet.
Pride and Predjudice--Jane Austen is good for the soul.

I want to invent a bunk bed-compatible bedside table....

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

via

Cassandra Mortmain leads an off-the-wall life set in a medieval castle in the English countryside. Her father is a celebrated novelist suffering from writer's block; stepmother Topaz is an artist's model and lover of nature; older sister Rose is beautiful, bitter and desperate to escape from the semi-poverty the Mortmains live in; younger brother Thomas is a schoolboy. And then there's Stephen, a nobly-souled young man who works for the family is in love with Cassandra, and Miss Blossom, the dressmaking mannequin is Cassandra and Rose's bedroom.

The ebb and flow of life in the castle is altered when an American family buys the neighboring estate; a family with two sons. Cassandra and Rose are determined to snag one of them for Rose to marry and bring the family out of destitution.
Their efforts do not always go smoothly, but eventually they pay off and Rose is engaged. Life looks hopeful for the entire family, and that should be the happy ending of the story . . . but then Cassandra surprises herself by realizing that she is in love with the man her sister is going to marry.

~

This novel was in the form of the main character's journal, and I usually don't like books told in that way. But I Capture the Castle was different, in the sense that it was such an honest journal! Cassandra freely wrote about her rapidly-shifting emotions and thoughts in such a poignant, often humorous way that it was impossible to find them corny or fakey.
Her feelings are certainly not the only part of the journal, however--Cassandra relates her experiences wooing the brothers, trips to London, and life in the castle just as winsomely and truthfully.
The characters were definitely my favorite part of the story. (Surprise, surprise.) Everyone was well-developed and interesting, and the balance between believable and unique was perfect. Cassandra is espeacially good. She's 16 on the first page and 17 by the last, and she matures and grows through the story in a well-crafted sequence.
Oh yeah . . . and the last page is one of the best last pages I have ever read.

~

There were several curse words throughout the novel, as well as some references to Topaz's peculiar habits while communing with nature and an artist photographer's photoshoots. I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.

~

Aside from hints of objectionable content, I can't find anything bad to say about this book. I Capture the Castle, like almost every other novel out there, had lots of chances to be tacky and "Yeah, right" worthy. But it never was. It is a novel that is purely winsome, quite often funny, and sometimes heartbreaking.

My oh my.

Guess who is undergoing major blogger's block? You got it. This blogger right here. Confession: there are currently 82 published posts on this blog, and 97 under my 'edit posts' tab. That means I have 15 unfinished drafts. I would start one, with varied amounts of enthusiasm, and lose whatever vigor I had after typing a sentence or two. It's not that bad of a feeling, I guess. Blogging is way less important to me now than it was a few months ago, thankfully. It was annoying to subconsciously think in blog posts and not be able to do just about anything without thinking about the post I could write about it. :) Maybe you know that feeling.

Anyway, I don't feel like deleting this little ol' blog, because I have put way too much time and energy to do that without being sure to regret it. I like having it; in case something remotely interesting comes up, I can get people's thoughts on it and have the satisfaction of writing something readable. :) {This post is certainly not an example of readability...sorry!}

I will now stop blathering about the intricacies of a blogger's life and move onto a girl's life. Far more interesting, hopefully. *cynicism*

Christmas is very near...you knew that, right? I went to my old friend's house today to walk around in the snow and eat Christmas cookies and discuss the pros and cons of killing characters in your novels. Very stimulating discussion about the "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" movie took place as well! No matter how much I talk about that movie, I still have trouble figuring out just how much I like it. Because I know I like it, but there are some things that really shave off respectability. Like corny green mist. Moving on.

Are you familiar with Arcangelo Corelli? The radio doesn't stop playing his Christmas Concerto, and that's fine by me. LOVE baroque music! The orchestra I was in long ago played it. I hated it then, but that's changed for the better now. :) Why deny myself good music because of petty dislikes?

My newest bad habit: harvesting five or six good-enough looking books from the library even though I have positive mountains of books already at home that I want/need to read/re-read. It has to stop. Right now, I have bookmarks in The Scarlet Pimpernel, I Capture the Castle, IronHeart, and Wuthering Heights. And then there is a delightful book of Robert Frost that I love. Oh, and I am also reading the best book on photography ever written. It's by Chris Orwig and called Visual Poetry. If you have any interst in photography, you will love this book.

News! The role play blog I take part in has a new makeover and lots of improvements. You really should go check it out. :)

I jusy scrolled over thispost and am aware that it reads like I just dashed it off to post for the sake of posting. Disregarding the fact that blogging is not a key aspect in life, I really didn't. I haven't posted in over a week, probably won't for another one or two, and wanted to remind readers that I am still alive and very well. :)

Well, it has been nice to talk to you again and I will see you again in an undefined amount of time! Thanks for being my readers, followers, and commenters-- I appreciate you all very much. And Merry Christmas! Remeber what God did when He sent Jesus to earth--it absolutely blows my mind.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ~John 3:17

~Margaret ~Who didn't edit or proofread this post. Could you tell?

Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

Toma Nicolescu is a very accomplished warrior in the service of the empress of Russia. He and his friend, Alek Cardei, are given a break from the battlefields to guard the Cantemir's, an important Moldavian family of two daughters and their mother. The daughter's are twin sisters, each very beautiful. Alek wastes no time in falling in love with Natasha, but Toma is resolute and will remain emotionless over the gorgeous Lucine.

Trouble starts the first night of their arrival. The mother, Kesia, who loves merriment of any kind, throws a sparkling party. Among the guests are some of the Castile clan, a mysterious family of Russians, headed by Vlad van Valerik. They charm the Cantemirs, except Lucine, who is dubious of their unconventional ways and quick work of wooing Natasha. Toma is flat out against the Castiles, forbidding Kesia to ever see them again. But the foolish woman refuses and repeatedly sees them.

They are a very seductive group. Alek, who was at first infuriated at them for taking Natasha's affections away from him, is eventually infatuated with the strange Castile's as well. He and Natasha run away every night to their castle in the mountains, coming back . . . changed.

Toma is overwhelmed. His best friend is turning on him, his usually unquestioned authority is being disregarded, and he is quickly falling deeply in love with Lucine. Things are getting out of hand at a very high speed, and something life changing for everyone involved is going to happen . . . soon.

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*Warning! Plot spoilers ahead!* I was very disappointed with this book. Usually I like Ted Dekker a lot and I wanted to read Immanuel's Veins as soon as I heard about it-- an intense plot and a love story? Great! I started it with much zeal, loving it immediately, but the love was not to last. The plot quickly became awkwardly paced, and the storyline sensuous. Very sensuous. The book is advertised as one about overcoming seduction, but I didn't realize that until I was right in the middle of it.

The Castile's are vampires. They are never called that, but that is obviously what they are. Dekker is a Christian author, but I felt like I was reading a cleaned up Twilight anyway. I have not read those books, but I saw the first movie. Never watching that one again! I really don't like vampires. At all.

Another thing that bothered me was Toma. He becomes all weird and desperate in his love for Lucine. I can't bear that kind of thing in an otherwise cool character. I was convinced she would be killed in the end, and he would be a wandering madman the rest of his life, but the two of them end up living happily ever after. That was a bright spot. :)

But Alek and Natasha are killed. Toma even kills Alek himself. That was a hard part to read. Ohh, how I despise it when best friends kill each other! (Uhh, who does, I guess?) Sure, Alek had basically become a vampire himself (*major dislike and a long story*) but. . . argh, why did the author have to do that?

One last thing that probably won't bother you: there was a line that almost perfectly matched one from my book! One that is essential and I thought original! But maybe it isn't after all. Oh well.

Okay, I have expounded on most that I disliked about this book. But I did like something: the ending. Dekker can write such fantastic, satisfying endings.


Have you read any Ted Dekker? And what do you when you start disliking a book you're in the middle of?

Cover Credit

Currently reading....

Sure, I could have simply updated my books page, but I am so excited about the books I am reading right now I had to do a post about them. Starting from the bottom:

Peace like a River- This is the book I read in the evening while enjoying the sunset. I love the atmosphere of it.

Les Miserables- After listening to the musical's soundtrack, I was absolutely pumped to begin the book. It is really good. The writing and translation are clear and sharp, and the depth is enough to blow you away.

Enna Burning- Who doesn't love or at least like anything by Shannon Hale? My favorite part of any of her books are the characters, and Enna Burning's are no exception. :)

Mossflower- I am loving the forest-ey setting for this one.

Gone with the Wind- I have found it! The perfect summer read! I can park myself outside in the sun and read this one for hours and hours. It sweeps me away. I know that I won't finish it by summer's end, and I probably won't read it during the school year, but I am definitely reading it next year.
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Today I am leaving for my second and last week of camp counseling, so I won't be posing or commenting for the rest of the week. I would appreciate any prayer!

It's raining where I am at today, but I hope that the rest of you find ways to stay cool and enjoy summer!

~Margaret Rowena

A dilemma

Have you ever been overwhelmed by books? You know, felt like there is so much to read, too much to read? That you should be reading the classics, like Dickens and Dostoyevsky, to improve your education, but you want to read some fantasy for fun? That's what I am feeling like today. The above picture is of all the library books I have out right now, their total number being 12. I have started five of them already, spastically reading one whenever I feel like it, along with the couple of books I have started here at home. So I probably have bookmarks in eight different books right now, not counting earlier today when I picked up The Outsiders to page through it and remind myself of the characters (I actually didn't put it down until chapter five or so).

Anyway, my point here is that sometimes reading loses it magic and becomes a hectic scheduling chore: Let's see here, if I read one chapter of Peter Pan, half a chapter of Gone With the Wind, five pages of Crime and Punishment, and several chapters of The Door Within, then I can count today as one that was profitable. Tomorrow I can do different books. Oh, and need to write some of my own book today, too. Maybe I can scribble something this evening.

I am tired of restricted reading! Today, I will read what I want to read, when I want to read it. Who's with me? :)

P.S.- If you have read any of the books in the picture and thought that they were really good or really bad, I would love to hear about it!