So...after publishing my previous post on Wednesday, which contained a plan of action for how I was going to spend my time; and after many arduous hours of acting upon that plan...
Arduous. She talks as if she'd been doing this for weeks.
I say, after many arduous hours of acting upon that plan, I have come to the conclusion that there is one particular point which needs a bit of tweaking. That point is point no. 3: "Set aside mornings for computer work, and don't let it run into the afternoons." Yes, well, that sounds very good, but I realized very soon yesterday that that is not going to work on a regular basis. Because every day is different. Some mornings I'm busy, but have the afternoons free, and denying myself the option of computer work in the afternoon would actually end up being a waste of time rather than a proper use of it. Make sense?
Perfectly. And I quite agree.
Well, thank you. So here's what I'd really like to say in regards to point no. 3. It should come into play on those days when I have already spent a significant amount of time on the computer in the morning. In those cases, afternoons should be my cut off point. (That way I am not spending all day in front of the screen. Which is really bad for the eyes...not to mention the brain.)
Absolutely. I couldn't agree more!
But on the other hand, for those days when I have not spent a lot of time on the computer in the morning, the afternoon may still be open to me. Agreed?
Agreed. (You sure know how to maneuver your way out of this.)
Well, but it only makes sense...
Yes, yes. Of course it does. Now! Have you talked yourself into a good conscience?
But on the other hand, for those days when I have not spent a lot of time on the computer in the morning, the afternoon may still be open to me. Agreed?
Agreed. (You sure know how to maneuver your way out of this.)
Well, but it only makes sense...
Yes, yes. Of course it does. Now! Have you talked yourself into a good conscience?
Yes, I think I have. And I feel much better about it.
Glad to hear it. Good-day.
Moving on... (Wow, it's weird writing in black all of sudden. ;))
The following is my official book list. Since I started blogging I have been greatly inspired by all you dear people to read more, and so I've finally "compiled a list of books to read"--as Emma Woodhouse so elegantly expressed it. This list does not contain 101 titles like Emma's (I'm not that ambitious), but rather a total of 26--half of which are rereads and the other half new.
This list, of course, is subject to change. Judging from the amount of books I read last year, I'm on pace to finish this list in about three or four years, so by then some of the books will most likely have lost their appeal and I shan't get around to reading them at all. (Just thought I'd put that out there.)
And now you may be wondering how I could possibly take 4 years to read 26 books. Well, I hate to say it but my total count of books for last year was a piddling and unimpressive, seven. (And I call myself a reader! Ha!)
 |
| No doubt this is the expression on your face at the present moment. |
I totally comprehend your feelings. It is very sad and very shocking...but it is true nonetheless. Seven books is all I can boast of for the year 2015. (Actually, I won't even bother boasting. That would be silly.) And yeah, I have a feeling Naomi's probably having a heart attack just about now. I mean check this out, this was her book list from last year. She read...wait a minute, let me get my calculator...she read TWENTY THREE times as many books as I did!! Ach! Okay, I don't like the way this conversation is going. Let's just forget I mentioned it. Haha! ;)
Anyway, I plan to do better this year. Here's the first list of thirteen books. All of these I have read before at one time or another.
1. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (I'm currently in the middle of this one.)
2. Captain's Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
3. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
4. The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
5. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
6. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
7. Robinetta by Kate Douglas Wiggin
8. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (My dad just finished reading this to my younger siblings and it struck me that I'd like to read it again.)
9. The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald
10. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
11. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
12. Jane of Lantern Hill by L. M. Montgomery
13. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
And here is the second list. Many of these books were recommended to me, so I'm going to include the names of those who either introduced me to these books, or encouraged me to read them.
1. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster (This one I've been meaning to read for a while, but have never gotten around to it.)
2. Greenwillow by B. J. Chute (Natalie)
3. Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey (Heidi)
4. Behold the Dawn by K. M. Weiland (Natalie)
5. Storming by K. M. Weiland (Natalie)
6. Celia Garth by Gwen Bristow (Naomi)
7. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell (Olivia)
8. Penrod by Booth Tarkington (my brother)
10. The World of Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (Rosie McCann)
11. Undine by Fouque (my sister)
12. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (my brother)
13. Peter Wimsey mystery novels by Dorothy Sayers (my brother and sister together)
Thank you all for inspiring me to read more. I'm excited to discover some new stories. And I'll be back in year or two with a report of my progress. (Haha!) So long!
Which of these books have you read?
Do you have any favorites in either of these two lists?
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY! TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD! Cordially yours, Cordelia. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I KNOW! Aren't those such wonderful books?! :)
DeleteWait a minute! Who's Cordelia? Am I missing something? :)
HAHAHA. I laughed when you mentioned me - I read it to my sister, and she thought it was funny too. (BUT WAIT REALLY. SEVEN BOOKS??? No, you MUST read faster than that! You read Rilla of Ingleside pretty fast, didn't you?)
ReplyDeleteGood list of books, though. :-) (And may I just say; your last post was really funny. I haven't commented on it, but I read it + loved it.) Ohhh, Daddy Long Legs IS SO GOOD!!!! It's a fairly small/fast (ha) read, too - so you'd like it. :-P
And Celia Garth! :-)
~ Naomi
Well, I suppose I CAN read faster than that. If I get into a story I can whip it off pretty quickly, but my problem is I'm too distracted by other things and don't take time to seriously concentrate on reading. There's a lot of time between books when I don't read at all. I can't remember how long it took me to read Rilla, but it was probably a couple of weeks.
Delete(Aww, thanks. I'm glad you liked my last post. :))
Okay, so I REALLY need to read Daddy Long Legs. I've been thinking about reading it for years, and my sister has it so I really have not excuse for not reading it. ;)
~Miss March
I've read Sense and Sensibility, Treasure Island, and Jane of Lantern Hill out of the ones you've already read . . . Ah, and of course The World Of Jeeves!! I'm excited you're planning to read it!! Other than that, I haven't done more than read the beginning on all of the rest of them :\ I really should remedy that. We're going to the library this afternoon, though!!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I loved that conversation you had above with your conscience :)
You haven't read most of these? Oh, then we both have a lot of good books to discover. How fun!! ;)
DeleteYes, thank you for recommending The World of Jeeves! I'm greatly enjoying the TV show so it will be neat to read the books as well. And from what you've told me of them they sound really good. :)
P.S. Really? Well, thanks. ;)
I'm DYING to read the Jane Austen books! (My sister doesn't, for some reason. I think she likes the movies too much.)
ReplyDeleteI've watched the movie of quite a few of these, but never read the book.
David Copperfield, The Inheritance, etc.
I read the Railway Children a while ago. It's always fun to read the old classics. :)
-The Girl with the Gold Pen
You've never read Jane Austen?? Oh no! You really must! They are SO good. Some of my favorite books, actually. (Not that, that means they will be yours. Haha! But I highly recommend them all the same!)
DeleteWhich David Copperfield movie have you seen? We own the BBC/ Masterpiece Theatre one that came out in 1999 or 2000. (Not sure of the exact date.) It's too short to do the book justice, but it's a good movie nonetheless.
Oh, yes! I love old classics. That's probably the kind of book that I read the most.
Thank you for another sweet comment! :)
~Miss March
I've seen the 1990 version. I want to see the 1966 version someday.
Delete-The Girl with the Gold Pen
I didn't know there was a 1966 version. I just looked it up, though, and realized it's a television series. Hmmm...that could be interesting. You'd probably get more of the story with a format like that.
DeleteThe alteration to your plan makes much more sense. :) I hope it works!!
ReplyDeleteI love your books list! Hopefully it will take less than four years to get through. ;) And oh, wow! Three book that I recommended are on your list! :D That makes me so happy!
Thanks for your vote of confidence. I hope it works, too. ;)
DeleteYeah, anyway. Four years is much too long. Especially since a lot of these books I want to read RIGHT NOW. :) Thanks for the recommendations, Natalie. I'm particularly excited about reading Greenwillow. There was something in your description of it that really appealed to me. It just sounded like my kind of book. :)
I know what you mean. I have a ton of books on my shelf that I want to read right now.....but it would be rather hard to read them all at once. :P haha
DeleteI hope you enjoy Greenwillow! It does seem like the sort of book you'd like. :)
(It's late, and I am in a small hurry, so please excuse me if I don't go into detail as much as normal. I still liked your post, all the same, though. :D)
ReplyDeleteThis made me smile. One, because you're very witty, and two because it's also very relatable. ;) And yes, I agree about Naomi. Haha. ;D She's just an exception - I'm sure you read more than the 'average person'. ;)
Ooohh, I'm familiar with quite a lot of these! (To name a few:) David Copperfield is something I want to re-read sometime. :D I recently read the Prince and the Pauper, although I was very familiar with the story. I don't remember a time when I didn't know it. ;) Oh yes, Treasure Island! That's a fun one. :D Really? You haven't read The Wind in the Willows? :) My mother always had a soft spot for those books. Oh, and Bleak House! That was a very good one - I read it last year. I think you'll like it. :D
Well, good luck with your reading list! I'm still plodding along with mine. ;) As long as I read a little every day, I'm satisfied. :D (Although perhaps a little more than 2 pages, as Emma Woodhouse does. Mind you, she WAS reading a sermon book. They're a bit tougher than novels. Hehe.)
~Miss Meg
Oh, don't ever worry about that, Miss Meg! Your comments, long or short, are always appreciated! :)
DeleteAww. I'm glad you found this post relatable. That's always encouraging to hear. :)
Nope, I've never read The Wind in the Willows. I've seen a cartoon movie of it, but I've never read the original story. My brother was encouraging me to do so just the other day so I decided I'd better add it to my list. :)
Thanks so much! And good luck with your reading, too! (Haha! Yeah. Reading more than 2 pages a day would be preferable. *wink* But you're right. Emma's book would have been a lot harder to get through, I'm sure. You notice I don't have any books like that on my list. ;))
~Miss March
Haha! I loved another post that included your second voice. You know, that voice reminds me of Mary Poppins' umbrella! Don't you think? :D
ReplyDeleteWell I've read:
David Copperfield (the only Dickens that I have read through twice), Sense and Sensibility (MANY times), To Kill a Mockingbird (threeish times), The Scarlet Pimpernel (I should read it again because it is fantastic!), Daddy Long Legs (but I can't say I'm impressed but I do know why it's listed in the 'classics', though), Before Midnight (a few times, for summer reads you know how it is), and Bleak House, obviously! ;D So I can't wait to see how your reading turns out! (I love how you said we'd see you again in 'a year or TWO'! Haha.)
~Cordy
P.S. Let me see, should I make your day? ...hmm, well, I'll confess. I won't give an exact number mind but I will only say that I didn't read even half as many books as you did last year. :O But this year, I can only go up from there right?! It was a terrible reading year for me last year! :P Haha.
Haha! You're right. It is rather reminiscent of Mary Poppins' umbrella, isn't it? ;)
DeleteYou've read Sense and Sensibility? Cool! I love Jane Austen! :)Have you read any of her other books?
~Miss March
P.S. Really? Well then, I suppose I don't have to feel too bad. Heehee. :P Oh, but I know! Some years just aren't good reading years. We can both try to do better this year. :)
Ohhh, YES! I've read six of Austen's seven(ish) works. What about you? What Austen's have you read and which is your favorite?
Delete~Cordy
P.S. Indeed!! Haha!
I've read all six of her novels and her unfinished works. (Wait, is there a seventh novel that I don't know about?) It's hard to choose a favorite--because I like all of them!--but maybe Pride and Prejudice or Northanger Abbey. How about you? Which is your favorite?
Delete~Miss March
I haven't read Lady Susan. It's the last completed Austen that I know about.
DeleteREALLY?! You like NORTHANGER ABBEY?! I never would have thought it! Why is that your favorite?
I don't know?! I guess for favorite book, I would go with Pride and Prejudice but as for movie adaption it would be the '08 Sense and Sensibility.
~Cordy
Oh, Lady Susan! That's right. I wasn't thinking of that one as a complete novel because I read it in a book combined with her two unfinished works. But you're right, that was a finished story, so yeah...I guess I've read all seven of her books! :)
DeleteHaha! I didn't realize that would be so surprising to you. :) (By the way, why wouldn't you have thought that would be one of my favorites? Just curious.) Why is it a favorite? Well, that's kind of hard to explain, but for one thing I REALLY like Henry Tilney. He's just my kind of hero. He's sweet and caring and I love his humorous side. And as for the book itself I think it's the large amount of sarcasm that really does it for me. You might say it's rather loaded with my type of humor. Haha. :P
Oh, you like the '08 Sense and Sensibility? I've only seen that one once. Elinor and Edward were great in that version. (Just out of curiosity--yeah, I'm rather curious today--do you have a favorite when it comes to Colonel Brandon and Edward, or do you like them pretty much equally?) :D
~Miss March
Cool! I just haven't gotten around to that one yet.
DeleteWell, I guess I think of Catherine rather than Henry when I think of Northanger Abbey. She is rather obnoxious for me. But--well, yeah. Haha. I just don't get along with Catherine. I did find myself laughing at some parts in the book like you said and I understand about the Henry Tilney thing. He was a great character. :) Haha.
OOOOH, YES!! I LOVE IT! Gosh, all these hard questions. ;) Haha. Hmm, thanks for asking though because it does have me thinking... Umm, I have to say that I really like Colonel Brandon. I mean Edward is great, and if we were just judging by looks than hands down Dan Stevens. But as for character I really like the Colonel. He is wise and understanding and kind. All very good qualities in my opinion. What do you think of the two men?
~Cordy
Catherine annoys you? Well that makes sense then why Northanger Abbey wouldn't be your favorite Austen book. Annoying heroines are not much fun to read about. ;P Haha! Personally, she doesn't bother me, so I'm able to enjoy the book very much indeed. ;)
DeleteWhich do I like? Probably Edmund. I really should read the book again, though, because I can't quite remember what the Colonel is like.
Thank you for your comment, Cordy!
~Miss March
oooh lovely! I might do this! Or Share the books I'm planning on buying? Sorry I haven't been around much! Uni's been frightfully busy!
ReplyDeleteOh, do! That would be fun! :)
DeleteSorry? I should be the one saying that. I haven't been over to your blog much at all recently. There are just so many blogs it's hard to keep up. :) But thank you for your comments. It's always a pleasure to hear from you. And I'm going to try and pop over to your blog more often in the future. :)
Ooh..a very nice list! I spot some of my favourites, like Sense & Sensibility, Treasure Island and the Scarlet Pimpernel.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to hear your thoughts on them:)
You've read S&S, Treasure Island, and Scarlet Pimpernel? How neat! I really want to read Treasure Island again. It's been such a long time.
DeleteThank you for all your comments, Rose. It was so much fun getting three comments from you on the same day!! :D
Ooh, ooh! Yes! I approve!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll really like Mary Barton. It's amazing :D I need to re-read it too, as a matter of fact…
Haha, I'm a slow reader, too. We can be unimpressive together ;-P
A lot of those on your to-read list are on mine, too!
Thanks, Olivia! :D
DeleteOh, I think I will, too. The little snippet you included in your post sounded really good; and I've liked both Elizabeth Gaskell books I've read so far ('Wives and Daughters' and 'North and South'), so it should be good. :)
Haha. Well, thanks. It's nice to have someone to keep me company in my unimpressive state. ;P
Oh, really? May I ask which ones. :)