Question du jour

Which book do you find yourself regularly rereading, and why?

There's a warm place in my heart for Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy. I first ran across it five or six years ago when it was given to me by two different people within the span of a couple months. It's set in Ireland and has a whole raft of well-realized, engaging characters. Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather are trying to establish themselves as caterers. The book is set over the course of twelve months as they cope with the demands of launching a business and keeping it afloat amid personal and professional challenges.

Binchy's writing in general is very much focused on character. Don't look for poetic descriptions of the lovely countryside or more than a sketchy setting of scene; on the other hand, you may feel you know her characters better than their mothers do. I also love her style of exposition. One sentence or paragraph gives concise backstory, and yet it hints that there's a whole 'nother book there that we can only guess at. I'd love to be able to write that way---I think one reason I've reread it so much is because I'm hoping it'll rub off.

That said, I wish publishers were required to add warnings for character death. Let me just say that if you DO pick up Scarlet Feather, you might want to avoid her latest, Minding Frankie. She does in a previously established character, and completely broke my heart. Yes, I know that bad stuff happens to good people in real life, but damn it! Art need not imitate life.

This isn't my only much-reread book, but it's been on my mind ever since I read Minding Frankie.

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Question du jour

Which book do you find yourself regularly rereading, and why?

There's a warm place in my heart for Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy. I first ran across it five or six years ago when it was given to me by two different people within the span of a couple months. It's set in Ireland and has a whole raft of well-realized, engaging characters. Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather are trying to establish themselves as caterers. The book is set over the course of twelve months as they cope with the demands of launching a business and keeping it afloat amid personal and professional challenges.

Binchy's writing in general is very much focused on character. Don't look for poetic descriptions of the lovely countryside or more than a sketchy setting of scene; on the other hand, you may feel you know her characters better than their mothers do. I also love her style of exposition. One sentence or paragraph gives concise backstory, and yet it hints that there's a whole 'nother book there that we can only guess at. I'd love to be able to write that way---I think one reason I've reread it so much is because I'm hoping it'll rub off.

That said, I wish publishers were required to add warnings for character death. Let me just say that if you DO pick up Scarlet Feather, you might want to avoid her latest, Minding Frankie. She does in a previously established character, and completely broke my heart. Yes, I know that bad stuff happens to good people in real life, but damn it! Art need not imitate life.

This isn't my only much-reread book, but it's been on my mind ever since I read Minding Frankie.

.

O frabjous day! Calloo, callay!

I have a TV. PJ proved that the third time was the charm, and hauled it in a few minutes ago.

Wow. It's HUGE.

My old, very old TV, hereinafter refered to as "The Postage Stamp" has a 9" screen. (Yes, that's on the diagonal.) This one is a full 31". No more squinting to make out captions, huzzah!

I'll probably spend half the evening getting it hooked up, but then, woohoo! It's going to be awesome.


(It was also good for spurring a small cleaning frenzy. The kitchen-dining room had definitely backslid.)

.

O frabjous day! Calloo, callay!

I have a TV. PJ proved that the third time was the charm, and hauled it in a few minutes ago.

Wow. It's HUGE.

My old, very old TV, hereinafter refered to as "The Postage Stamp" has a 9" screen. (Yes, that's on the diagonal.) This one is a full 31". No more squinting to make out captions, huzzah!

I'll probably spend half the evening getting it hooked up, but then, woohoo! It's going to be awesome.


(It was also good for spurring a small cleaning frenzy. The kitchen-dining room had definitely backslid.)

.