Welcome to Carrots! I'm so glad you're here. This is where I share thoughts on liturgical living, faith, parenting, culture, and an extra dose of Jane Austen. You can sign up for my email newsletter here to stay in touch, or look me up on Instagram!
Now that we’re really settled into life with two kids, my sleep-deprived mind is getting back into the swing of reading for pleasure.
In January I finally finished Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was a beautiful clothbound Penguin edition, see?
I am more than mildly obsessed with these Penguin editions and my wonderful in-laws gifted me several for my birthday last year. Can’t imagine a better gift. Cranford was my first Elizabeth Gaskell. I loved the miniseries with Judi Dench and honestly, although the book was delightful…(I’m scared to say it) I kind of liked the film better. Don’t tar and feather me. Cranford doesn’t read as a novel so much as a collection of vignettes. It’s charming but I think I will like North and South or Wives and Daughters better in book form.
And while we’re on the subject of the clothbound Penguin classics, this is the coolest phone charger imaginable:
Thanks to Cassie for alerting me that such things exist.
I also finished Stephen Lawhead’s Arthur. I can’t say no to Arthurian related books. I didn’t like Arthur as much as the first book in the series, Taliesin. But it was still worth reading and I’ll probably track down the final two books. It’s actually well-researched and not as embarrassing as the cover art would lead you to believe.
During my Holy Hour I started reading the Blessed John Paul II’s Encyclical Familiaris Consortio: On the Christian Family in the Modern World. It’s as wonderful as I expected.
And every morning I treat myself to the day’s reading in Karen Edmisten’s Through the Year with Mary. Sometimes I forget and the next day I treat myself to TWO wonderful quotes about Our Lady.
Benjamin has recently made a leap in his reading time attention span and has been enjoying Dr. Seuss in particular. He can sit through several stories in a row and beg for more.
What have you been reading? What are your kids enjoying?
I don’t think you should get your booklover status taken away b/c you liked the Cranford miniseries more. I loved the book, but I read it before watching the miniseries…it tends to be that I prefer whichever I saw/read first in those scenarios.
ALSO, the miniseries was based on Cranford plus 2 other of Gaskell’s books, which I didn’t realize until recently. So, I guess a few of the main storylines in the miniseries are from those other books.
North & South IS more exciting, at least so far…
Well, now that we’re both done with Cranford, let’s set a date to get together and watch the miniseries! We’ve earned it! When are you guys back in town?
Nothing irks me like cheesy book cover art! I know they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but my enjoyment of a book is lessened when before and after reading I have to see some awful art/typography. Those Penguin books on the other hand, now that’s what I’m talking about! Gorgeous, I bet they’re a pleasure to read.
Love your blog!
Thanks, Heidi! And I’m with you. Bad cover art is the worst. I swoon over pretty books.