Happy Canada Day!

I made it to maple syrup!
I completed the 6th Annual Canadian Book Challenge, hosted by the Book Mine Set. Here is my list of 13 books by or about Canadians:

The Merry Heart by Robertson Davies
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery *
Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
Twenty-six by Leo McKay, Jr. *
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
A Short History of Canada by Desmond Morton
A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
The Kids' Book of Canada by Barbara Greenwood
Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg
The Salterton Trilogy by Robertson Davies
I am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

* Thanks to my friend Lisa for lending me these books!

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermuda Onion, where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our weekly reading.

coruscation (n) 1 : glitter, sparkle 2: a flash of wit.
"Her eyes dwelt affectionately on Green Gables, peering through its network of trees and reflecting the sun;ight back from its windows in several little coruscations of glory." (p. 213)

Words are from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Definitions are from Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.

Bout of Books - Saturday

Report on day 6 of Bout of Books 7.0

Saturday was a full day of reading, with a few chores thrown in. I didn't listen to any of my audio-book. I did visit 3 new-to-me book blogs. 

I finished Anne of Green Gables (and wrote about it, my 200th blog post.) Then I started one of the business-y books from my stack (one of my readathon goals), but after about 30 pages I decided it wasn't that interesting so I abandoned it. Then I started Death in a White Tie by Ngaio Marsh and read about half of that before I fell asleep.

TRR read 331 pages of  NOS4A2 on Saturday. 

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables
by L.M. Montgomery

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anne was a wonderful character, very funny and smart. There were a lot of other heroines that she reminded me of: Alice (of Wonderland fame), Pollyanna a bit, and an odd combination of Jo and Amy March. I really liked Marilla and Matthew and the way they played off each other. I did NOT like the ending, even though I had a feeling about 200 pages in that something similar was coming.

Overall the book was a wonderful story full of adventures and lessons. I especially liked the struggle Anne had with being good and her outlook on religious issues.

"It's all very well to say resist temptation, but it's ever so much easier to resist it if you can't get the key." (p. 141)
"It's always wrong to do anything you can't tell the minister's wife. It's as good as an extra conscience to have a minister's wife for your friend." (p. 234)

This book counts toward the Canadian Book Challenge, the Colorful Reading Challenge and Classics Club.

Bout of Books - Friday

Report on day 5 of Bout of Books 7.0

This was my least successful readathon day so far. I got a ride to work with a friend so I didn't listen to any of my audiobook. I read Anne of Green Gables at lunch and while I waited for TRR to meet me after work (total of less than an hour of reading). TRR didn't read at all. On the bright side, we did go to an interesting program about the Constitution and had fun having dinner with friends.

I did manage to visit 3 new-to-me book blogs, so I am on track with that goal.

Lots of reading--and not much else--is the plan for Saturday. 

Bout of Books - Thursday

Report on day 4 of Bout of Books 7.0

Thursday was a very productive readathon day. On the social front I visited  3 new-to-me book blogs on Thursday and left some comments. I also participated in my first BoB Challenge.

I only managed about 20 minutes of audio-book listening (more of Bill Bryson on Australia) because I worked from home today. 

I finished Lord Edgware Dies which makes 2 books finished so far in the readathon. Then I moved on to Anne of Green Gables and read about 1/3 of it. I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but am really enjoying it and finding Anne (with an e) quite funny.

TRR finished reading Path of Daggers and began NOS4A2. He read a total of 98 pages on Thursday. Friday doesn't look promising for finding much time to read.