My New Favorite

Six weeks of plowing through (with a vacation and work and church and all to throw in the mix) and I finally finished the much-recommended-by-The-Brambler Betsy-Tacy series. (First series to finish this year in my Finish-That-Series Challenge, by the way.) She told me I would love it. But she was wrong. I'm completely and irretrievably dead gone over it! (I know. Different series there. Oh well.) Truly--I am obsessed with it!

I've spent the last 4 weeks looking around online and in stores for the books so I can have my own copies to read whenever I want. (Thank you again, by the way, for that great Interlibrary Loan of the whole series! Except for the out-of-prints. Now I have to go search those out!) I have been looking up any information I could find. (Me and my weakness for "based on a true story.") I'm anxious to read biographies. I have a new interest in history 100 years ago. I want to know what happened to the fictional characters true-life counterparts as the years have passed. I want to know about the descendants. I want to take a trip to the town and see the houses and shriek and giggle over the bench on Big Hill. And maybe take a picnic.

And it hasn't just been great stories. As with any good book, I learned more about myself. I saw where I could become better where my weaknesses are, while being happy about my strengths. I wanted to ignore the petty and focus on the truly important. I enjoyed my own nostalgia of memories and emotions as I read a series that seemed full to the brim with it. I came to love each character--even the annoying/weird/silly ones! I am upset that it has ended! Ten whole books, and over too soon.

Well, in my browsing, I came across this quiz. And I had to take it. I had to! How could I not?! I was sure I was going to come up with Betsy--though I was hoping not. I've spent the whole series loving Betsy while wanting to shake her, and cringing every time I thought "Oh no! I'm not like that, am I?!" I also spent the whole series thinking Tacy was the coolest, most awesomest person and friend ever and how I wish I was more like her growing up as well as now.

My results?

I know! I'm shocked! And thrilled!!! I'm Tacy! Happy, happy day! Then again, some of those questions I was unsure about asking of myself and would wish that better judges of me (aka friends and family) would answer for me. I would be intrigued with the results.

I highly recommend all fans (especially the greatest Betsy-Tacy fan I know--greatest in many senses of the world) to take the Which Betsy-Tacy Character are You quiz! It was really fun.

And I'm saying right off--#12 was completely unfair!!!!! I had to pretend that I could only have one of the choices in my life to see which would be the hardest to give up. And I thought I would die from the thought. Pray it never comes about! It still took me a good 5 minutes of "But I can't live without..." before I finally picked one.

Trying to Obey

Can I cheat and do my hour of obedience while I'm driving in my car? I'm a little worried where this obedience thing could go.

I know I can't do it at work. Imagine Ella of Frell with a job! In customer service!!!!

But where could I do it that I wouldn't be making the biggest fool of myself ever possible? Or put my life, sanity, decent name, good reputation on the line? Or try not to laugh my head off as I'm forced to keep the secret of what I'm doing while I look and act like an idiot?

I know.

I'm sympathizing more and more with Ella.

"What book is better than sleep when the sun goes down?"

Hello Book Clubbers! Welcome to Kyrria! This is the land which contains Frell, home of our heroine Ella, of Ella Enchanted. I hope you enjoy our next place to stay as well as this new round of questions where we will discuss the book (and our lives.) I'm giving you two weeks to answer the any or all of the questions. Bring on the discussions!

But wait! There's an added bonus! Scholastic.org listed 3 activities that readers could do which related to the book. And I loved them!!! So I'm including them at the end and highly encouraging you to participate in one, any, or all of them. Trust me--it will be such fun to pull out the talents that I know exist among we fellow readers and Austen-lovers. This may very well be my favorite part of our visit to Kyrria, and I'm going to try at least #1 and #2.


“‘Perhaps she’s changed.’”
What do you think are the three most important differences between Ella and the original Cinderella tale?

“That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift.”
What do you think is the worst “gift” Lucinda bestows on anyone during the novel and why?

“I loved having the power to say yes or no, and refusing anything was a special pleasure.”
How much freedom do you have to disobey orders in your own life? What keeps you from disobeying? If you do disobey, how does that come about?

“I could barely stay seated because of the command.”
Give an example from the book of a positive result of the curse.

“‘Nothing is small magic in a moment like this.’”
What do you think is the difference between small and big magic? Give some examples of both. Can you think of real-life situations in which people have power equal to big magic?

“It was a taste of obedience without an order, and I didn’t like it any better than the Lucinda-induced kind.”
What difference is there between choosing to do good and being forced into it?

“When I opened it, instead of a fairy tale, I found an illustration of Mandy!”
What do you wish your own fairy book would tell/show you when you opened it?

“Char couldn’t see them and twirled me as before, until he got halfway around. Then he set me gently on the floor and bowed at Father and Mum Olga, his buttonless doublet flapping. He was laughing so hard he couldn’t speak.”
What are your impressions of the prince? Compare him with other princes from fairy tales—original or fractured.

“‘Your very good friend, Char.’”
In too many fairy tales we (*groan!*) see the love-at-first-site aspect instead of a real relationship being built between the hero and heroine. What do you think about the relationship between the prince and the Cinderella character in this version?

“I refused to become a princess but adopted the titles of Court Linguist and Cook’s Helper.”
Especially for the linguist of our Book Club: Can you find any patterns in the different languages spoken in the book? Can you find any spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or other characteristic that distinguishes each from the other?

"In that moment I found a power beyond any I’d had before, a will and a determination I would never have needed if not for Lucinda, a fortitude I hadn’t been able to find for a lesser cause. And I found my voice."
What are some times you had to find an inner strength you did not think you had, but which was there when a greater cause called forth its need?

“‘I’ll work her harder than she ever worked in her life, and give you a fine cook into the bargain.’”
Do parts of this Cinderella version remind you of any other Cinderella versions you have read or seen? Which parts/versions do you prefer?

“But my favorite was…”
Favorite character?
Favorite part(s)?
Favorite story element?
Favorite anything else?

“‘Is it terrible?’”
Least favorite character?
Least favorite part(s)?
Least favorite story element?
Least favorite anything else?

Bonus Activities!

1. Pick a fairy tale and write your own, new version of it, or a synopsis of it. (For example, set "The Frog Prince" in a high school or change Rumpelstiltskin from a mean villain to a lonely old woman. Imagine how the story of Pinocchio would change with the invention of lie detectors or how computers might help Hansel and Gretel.)

2. Try living as if you were cursed like Ella for one hour, obeying every command you are given, without telling anyone about your curse. If you want to try for a second hour, obey not only commands from people around you, but also commands you hear on TV/radio and from anything you read. Tell us about your experience.

3. Within the novel, there are many magical and fanciful creatures. Imagine what each of the different kinds of creatures would look like together in one place and draw a colorful scene of them. Include at least one human, elf, fairy, ogre, giant, and centaur.

"That's who I am"

[another day of gratitude to share]

Day 30

Serene is doing a Picture of the Day Challenge. I'm supposed to "look around and find something that speaks who [I] am." At first I wanted to just find something among pictures I've already taken. I take lots. LOTS. On all my "adventures" my camera is in hand. I want to document my life because there is plenty to document even if it is mostly just me and a stuffed turtle.

So I started looking through my pictures. Hmm...it's either me or Bob or no one in the pictures. The posed pictures don't seem to speak as naturally as others. Yet often the unposed pictures are only about one thing here or there. Not really who I am. I am so many things. And it's tough to show that in that one fun afternoon, or that great vacation moment, or....

Then I looked at around me on this snowy (yes! actual snow that stuck and covered the ground!) day.

These are the days I like to be lazy. And perhaps I'll clean that one corner of my room that I always say I need to clean.

Yet I never get to it. Because in spite of my love for cleaning and being in a clean environment, I always have to have some spot where I unload all my gunk and just let it be. In my own apartment, that was my room. As I now live in one room, it has become a section of that room. Which in the last week got particularly messy as I did some of those things that speak of who I am. I saw it and thought, "Aha!" And snapped the photo.

Wow. It speaks volumes.

Then the thought came to me that there is one other picture that speaks even louder of who I am, and always will be.

Today, I am happy and grateful...to be me.

I am Rosemary's granddaughter,

The spitting image of my father,

And when the day is done my momma's still my biggest fan.

Sometimes I'm clueless and I'm clumsy,

But I've got friends that love me

And they know just where I stand.

It's all a part of me

And that's who I am.

-from "Who I Am" by Jessica Andrews

Another Opinion or Two

More "Is it YA" questions. Usually I go by how my library has cataloged an item. But sometimes I don't agree. Or I don't want to agree so I can reach my goal of 75 YA this year!

Chronicles of Prydain - YA or no? Our library has the first few as juvenile, and the rest as YA. (I've seen libraries do that with Little House and Anne, too.) I've only just started the first book, but it seems to me that the guy is teen-ish. I would like to count the whole series as YA.

Chronicles of Narnia - YA or no? Our library has them all as juvenile. I rather agree there, even if at times some of the characters are teens. Yet I have seen some other libraries classify them as YA. Or both. This can be tough because the books were published before YA was an "official" genre. Daddy Long Legs and Little Women and such are often classified as adult fiction because they weren't originally in a YA genre (which didn't "exist!"). I believe they are both YA.

However, it is the two chronicles series that I wonder about right now. What are your opinions?

Another love has come along

[I couldn't not share this from my 2010 Joy and Gratitude Every Day on my LDS blog]:

Day 29

It isn't often that one finds a wonderful period drama film adaptation of a book. There's always some thing, some part, some character, some acting, some scenery, some unnecessary addition, some direction...some thing that doesn't sit well with us. Usually it's enough some things that add up to it being a good movie. But not THE adaptation that you tell everyone they must see.

Yet occasionally, it does come along. Jane Eyre for one. You know the one. The Toby Stephens version. It's amazing! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. With so many Austen adaptations, I have so many views. I have my favorites, but not many must-sees. The new Northanger Abbey is close, but still missing a couple of my favorite parts. Though JJ Feild is an excellent Henry. I do love his smile. The new Sense and Sensibility, well, I'm exceedingly happy with that one, too. (Except for the opening scene. I do like the behind closed doors of Austen to stay behind those doors--on the other side of me.)

Well, finally a version of Emma has come along that is it. The thing. I'll be fine watching the other versions, but I would be perfectly content to only watch this new Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller version for the rest of my time on earth. Wonderful happiness!

What perfect book-to-film period drama adaptations bring you joy?

Time for #2

Well, friends. It is time to say farewell to Prince Edward Island. I know. I will miss being with Anne and her family and friends. But perhaps our AKB Book Club will make a return journey. There are 7 more books with her. :-)

Until then, my PEI cows bid you a-moo.

And now we're off for our next book! You won't want to miss it. It's the one book my two voters on the AKB Book Club poll voted for unanimously. You bet. Next up is

Ella Enchanted!

I'll give you a week for a refresher and then post some discussion questions. Have fun (re-)reading if you so choose to do!