Linking Books

2010 Summer Reading
"Linking Books"

This reading challenge has kind of developed on it's own, and is loosely associated with a "game" my sisters and I played with choosing what movie to watch one night. (A little like the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but having nothing to do with Kevin Bacon). While watching the one we finally picked we recognized a secondary actor who played in another movie we had. So from then on we tried to see if we could find a link between our movies. We did pretty good, I'm not sure how far we got, but it was interesting while it lasted. I'll have to check with my sisters to see if we made it to 6 movies or not.

As is often the case, it was the 2nd & third book that showed me I had a good start to my "Six Degrees of Links" ;)

1 - The Beginning
"Our Path of Duty" Keith B. McMullin May 2010 Ensign
While listening to this talk, I was reminded of John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim Progress" and wondered how it described "a path of duty".

2 - The Pilgrim's Progress
by: John Bunyan
(New Read)
An excellent read, although taken slow if you look up all the scripture references he gives. Which I recommend you do. I even found a couple of typos where the printer got the reference backwards. (The verse was really the chapter & the chapter was really the verse). I even added a few of my own references in the margins.

3 - Little Women
by: Louisa May Alcott
(Re-read)
The Pilgrim's Progress plays a significant role with the March girls. The preface to the book is a quote from "The Pilgrim's Progress". I've read this book a number of times and dearly love reading about Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. My mom must of loved this book to cause guess which sister I was named after. Really truly! This reading was so much more wonderful, cause I know had the background of reading Bunyan's book and could understand more clearly the reference to his book. (ie. see the previous post)

Link:

Jo is a companion to her grouchy Aunt March and must sit and read to her. Jo, an avid reader doesn't care too much for her Aunt's choices so whenever the aunt falls asleep, Jo begins reading one of her choices. The following passage is from Jo telling her sisters about how their Aunt caught her:

"I whipped the 'Vicar of Wakefield' out of my pocket, and read away, with one eye on him, and one on aunt. I'd just got to where they all tumbled into the water, when I forgot, and laughed out loud. Aunt woke up; and, being more good-natured after her nap told me to read a bit, and show what frivolous work I preferred ... I did my very best, and she liked it, though she only said -
"I don't understand what it's all about. Go back and begin it, child'
"Back I went, and made the Primroses as interesting as ever I could. Once I was wicked enough to stop in a thrilling place and say meekly, 'I'm afraid it tires you, ma'am; sha'nt I stop now?"
She caught up her knitting, which she had dropped out of her hands, gave me a sharp look through her specs, and said, in her short way, - "Finish the chapter, and don't be impertinent, miss. "
"Did she own she liked it?" asked Meg.
"Oh, bless you, no! but she let old Belsham rest; and, when I ran back after my gloves this afternoon, there she was, so hard at the Vicar that she didn't hear me laugh as I danced a jig in the hall, ..."

4 - The Vicar of Wakefield
by Oliver Goldsmith
(New Read)
While looking for some books at the library that was on a reading list I had, I came across "the Vicar" and decided to give it a try. I started and finished it in a day, but not because I couldn't put it down. Mainly because I was afraid if I did put it down, I wouldn't pick it up again. (Don't box my ears yet, Jo) This is the first book I can say I'm very thankful for the Introduction cause it did give me a heads up and let me know all would come out right in the end, if I would just be patient.
"To the modern reader, whose ear is attuned to very different kind of fiction, The Vicar may present difficulties. The pace is slow, the events melodramatic, the denouncement outrageous. The extravagant praise which the book has received ... may be puzzling. ...." page IIIV Frederick W. Hilles 1950 Yale University

Which it was! but in the end, I did have some good laughs and did enjoy telling a passerby "What I was reading" although she may wish she hadn't asked ;) I can also understand why Jo March liked it so much and plan on putting it on my "re-read" list.

Even though this is already too long, I can't end without one of my favorite quotes from The Vicar :

"As I cannot, Sir, part with this young lady myself, for she has taken a fancy to the cut of my face, all the recompense I can make is to give you her fortune; and you can call upon my steward to-morrow for five hundred pounds." pg. 222

Yep, I'm a sucker for a good romantic ending.

Summer's Approach

As a kid I could always feel summer approaching as I looked forward to the last day of school and the first day of summer. As an adult, who's been out of school for a few years, it's been a lot harder, except for one thing .... the "Summer Reading Challenge". Every year around May I start to feel a desire for a Summer Reading Challenge, and not just with myself. I always seem to try bringing my siblings into it. I believe my youngest sister, 'Bubba" is usually the victim. I beg, bribe, harass her every year to join me in a reading challenge. To my recollection I was only successful once. Don't get me wrong, she's an avid reader, just not into my "challenges" as much as I am. (Bubba is a nickname I came up with her, that's another story)

The one year I was successful with getting "Bubba" to join me, I came up with a good incentive, a trip to a local amusement/water park. Loser pays for the winner. Not sure who actually won because the true success was we both actually did a lot of reading that summer (as well as enjoyed a sister's day at the amusement park.) I do remember there being 3 ways you could win: 1) Most number of books read; 2) Most number of pages read; 3) Most number of "new" reads. I bought notebooks for us to keep track of our reading. That notebook as become quite special to me. With each book I read that summer, I would create a page with the title, author and a quote from the book. I added stickers that related to the book and at the bottom I wrote the date finished, and the number of pages and whether it was a new read or a re-read. I can tell which books were really enjoyed cause there's 3-4 pages of quotes.

As I look through the book, I remember so much. Shall I share?:

"The sad thing about women is that they believe so much that a man tells them with his lips, and will not listen to what is told by his actions" pg. 77 "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" Josephine Leslie

"Our return journey occupied two days and was as filled with adventure as usual. We are all becoming accustomed to adventure" pg 100 "The Land that Time Forgot" Edgar Rice Burroughs

"Let in the Jungle, Hathi" The Jungle Books - Rudyard Kipling

Those were just a few of the shorter ones. It's amazing how much my reading influences and teaches me. I even have a page for one book that I really didn't like. There's no quote and even now I wish I could erase the memory of that read. I'll not tell you which book it was cause I know others have liked it.

One page lists two years summer reading, I only kept track of the date, title, author, total pages & whether it was new or a re-read. It's got the facts but no real feeling so I'll not track that way if I can help it.

So what do I do about this year. I have a couple of ideas. One came to me while browsing my parent's bookcase. I started pulling out all the books I remember reading when I was younger. I thought it would be fun to revisit and see if I still enjoy the stories.

The 2nd idea has already begun. It's a result from reading "The Pilgrim's Progress". I remembered how much that book was a part of "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. Having finally read it, I decided to read "Little Women" again and see if I uncover more to the story. And I DID, for instance this sentence makes so much more sense now. "Mr. Brooke looked so strong and sensible and kind that the girls christened him "Mr. Greatheart" on the spot."
I was so excited when I came to that point, because I knew who Greatheart was and the title fit so well. So the 2nd idea is to see if I can't connect books from each other. That will be a little harder but I've already got two jumping off places. Off the top of my head I have five "connections" already.

Maybe I do a little of both this summer. So what reading do you have planned this summer and how do you or do you track your reading. Also are you as big a sucker for "Summer Reading Challenges" as I am?