At some point, after I started reading more books than I ever expected I could, it seemed like I was falling in love with fewer books. They rarely grab me from the first page and usually I have to get at least 50 pages in before I feel compelled to keep reading. I like almost everything I read, but I rarely truly love a book. That said, I am now reading three amazing books, and am hard pressed to decide which one to continue at any given point!
The first is The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer, a book I’m reviewing for The Book Bag. This non-fiction book is essentially billed as a handbook for people traveling to the 14th century (as it is basically a foreign country), but really provides an entertaining overview of every detail of medieval life. So far he’s explained what I might encounter in a town, a city, or the countryside, levels of society, and even gone into detail about coinage and dates and medieval attire. I know some of this information, but the little details like how the invention of the button changed men’s and women’s clothing? Or the slight differences in behavior? I had no idea, and it’s utterly fascinating. It’s also very funny in a dry sort of way, which makes even the facts I know enjoyable to learn again. I won’t be reviewing this book here for a while, but I am just loving it.
The next is Emma by Jane Austen. It’s no secret that I really enjoy Austen’s work, but Emma has been the last on my list of unread Austens for years. I have two versions of it but I have never managed to get into it. I was in high school and I found it boring, and later I wanted to save one because I know there aren’t any others. I’m inspired today by the BBC’s new miniseries, which begins tonight at 9 pm. There was no way I wanted to spoil my last Austen with a miniseries and not with the book! And of course I don’t want to miss the mini-series because I love the BBC’s adaptations. I am even making Keith watch with me. So I started reading it, even though I was already reading two other books, and I’m adoring it this time through. I just love Austen’s sly humor, her deft touch with characterization, her turn of phrase, and that’s not to mention the snottiness of Emma and the fascinating world she lives in. I want to know where this story is going next! I know who the hero is and I can already see the light touches that are slowly developing that angle even as Emma goes about in ignorance. This book makes me want to reread every last Jane Austen novel, so I’m already planning on starting with Pride and Prejudice, the only one I actually have here. (Emma is a library copy since my two versions are in the US).
The last is The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. I have progressed the least in this because I started it before I realized I had to read Emma. There is so much blogger buzz about this book that I couldn’t resist starting it alongside the non-fiction, although I normally don’t read more than one book at a time (hah!). This was one of my last bought books before my ban started, as neither of my libraries have it, although both of them have the sequel. No idea why libraries do that. I’m only 100 pages in, but it is very good so far. I wasn’t convinced at first, but it’s growing on me. I plan on zipping through the whole thing tomorrow when I’m on my own again, as men, mine in particular, are extremely distracting, and I hope I fall in love with it like so many others have!
What was the last book you fell in love with?
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