#bookbloggerhop (Aug. 31-Sept. 6)

This week, Crazy for Books asks:

What is the one book or series you are dying to see turned into a movie or tv series?

This a little hard because a lot of the books I have read have been made in movies already and there are at least  a few series that I would like seeing made into movies.  But I would think that the one series that I would like to see being made into a movie would probably be the Tea Rose series.  Partly because it is of a similar vintage as Downton Abbey, of which I am a huge fan of, but also because I have read all the books in the series and I think visually it would be an amazing series of movies.  But I also think that the Gemma Doyle series could also be an amazing series, just because it would be very eery and spine tingling.  Who doesn't like a good ghost story?

Labor Day Read-A-Thon

I have been searching for something to do this coming weekend and was looking specifically for a readathon for this weekend.  And I had been looking for a few times for one and was even contemplating hosting one myself, informally if I didn't find anything.  Well, that isn't the case any more.

As I was searching the twitter hashtag #readathon, I noticed that somebody had posted a link that Amanda @ Letters Inside Out was hosting one.  And I couldn't resist.

It's very simple.  It is running from Friday thru Monday night (11:59 pm) and you can read as much or as little as you want.  The important thing is that you spend at least a portion of the weekend reading.  You can find more information at the sign up and I hope that you will join me.

I am planning on working on:
• Les Miserables
• Anna Karenina
• Bleak House
• A Farewell to Arms
and some others as well.

and will start reading Wuthering Heights.

Booking Through Thursday - Conversions

Booking Through Thursday asks this week:

Do you find yourself thinking about that the books you read would be good on film? Do you wish things you watched on TV or in the movies were available as books?

Firstly, I do occasionally do find myself thinking that the book I am reading would be good as a movie, but that is very rare.  To answer the second question, not necessarily.  While I like reading books a lot, I don't necessarily want them in book form. The reason being is that a lot of the books that I have read that are published after the movie or TV series has aired are usually not as good as if they had been published prior to watching the movie or TV show.  I think that if one is going to publish a book, it should be something like what was put together for Downton Abbey; basically a companion book rather than an actual book based on the movie or TV show.

Lady of Milkweed - Julie Klassen

Title: Lady of Milkweed Manor
Author: Julie Klassen
File Size (Pages): 5678 KB (411)
Published: 2010 (first published 2008)
Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction
Challenges: Support Your Library, Historical Fiction
Edition: E-book
Source: Library

Description: Even a proper vicar's daughter can make a mistake—and now Charlotte Lamb must pay a high price for her fall. To avoid the prying eyes of all who know her, she hides herself away in London's forbidding "Milkweed Manor", a place of mystery and lore, of old secrets and new birth.

But once there, she comes face to face with a suitor from her past—a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither can imagine the depth of sacrifice that will be required. (via British Columbia Libraries)

Thoughts: It was a quick and easy read for me.  While it took me only three days to finish the book, I probably could have easily the book in about a day's read.  If it had been a book that I had purchased, it would have been a book that I would have put in those free libraries that have been sprouting up in various places around the world.  It was nothing memorable and basically it was fluff.

Bottom line:  If it hadn't been for the fact that I had borrowed one of Ms. Klassen's later books from the library, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book.  Its a great book for the beach as its basically a ball of fluff and there wasn't much substance to the book.  Recommended for the beach or a plane trip.

Rating: 1.5/5

Pages for 2012: 16334

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Title: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Author: Lewis Carroll
Pages: 108
Published: 2005 (first published 1865)
Genre: Children's Literature, Classics
Challenges: The Classics Club
Edition: Paperback
Source: Purchased

Description: Contained in this volume are the two classics by Lewis Carroll, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." We are first introduced to Alice in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" where we find Alice idly passing away the time next to a river when she sees a white rabbit pass by in a waistcoat. She follows the rabbit down the rabbit hole and ends up in the fantasy world of Wonderland. Alice's adventures are continued in "Through the Looking Glass" when Alice passes through a mirror to find herself in yet another magical place. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: This is a book that I have wanted to read for quite sometime and since I read Alice I Have Been, the taste of reading this particular book kinda soured in my mouth a bit.  Its not that I didn't want to read the book, its just that after finding out what type of person Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) was reported to be, it made it a little more difficult for me to get to read the book.  And if you are wondering, I purchased Alice's Adventures in Wonderland prior to reading Alice I Have Been.

It took me awhile to get through the book, despite the fact that it is a relatively short book and I blame that on trying to get books done from the library and wanting to read other things.  Overall, I thought that the book was okay and the reason is that it clearly is meant for a child to read or for one that has an active imagination.  While I was reading it, I found the first book to be far more enjoyable than that of the second book, which I found to be tiresome and not really coherent nor as fun.  I found that the second book felt like it was just thrown together for the sake of it and there was really no thought put into the stories.

I also partially read this on my ereaders (yes, I have two; one has e-ink and one is more like a smartphone).

Bottom line: Feel that the book is good for readers that are bridging from children's books to more adult type books or for those that have a really active imagination.  Its also the perfect book for a bedtime story for parents to read to their kids.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2012: 15923

Mailbox Monday - August 27

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their homes during the past week. Mailbox Monday, for August, is being hosted by 5 Minutes for Books.

I meant to post this a couple weeks ago, but due to the fact that I just forgot about this, I am doing it now.  Victoria, BC has one of my favourite bookstores on its main street and almost every time I go there I purchase something, at least I think I have.  Anyways, while I was in Munro's Books, which is next to Murchie's Tea, I purchased Bride of New France:

Hope everybody has a good Monday :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Aug. 27)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.

It has been a while since I last posted something, so I will be posting the books that I have reviewed since my last post, which has been about a month.

What I have reviewed this month:
1) The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites (review)
2) Canada at War by Paul Keery (review)
3) Henry V by William Shakespeare (review)

What I am planning on reading this week:
1) Fire by Kristen Cashore
2) A Race to Splendor
3) Anna Karenina
4) Les Miserables
5) The Litigators 
6) A Farewell to Arms