Saturday, March 29, 2008

She's Here!

Emerson Mae (little Emmie Mae)

My sister with Peyton and Emmie - a few hours old!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

"It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” - Mark Twain

Long time, no blog. I'm finally back, though.


Life is crazy, and the pace at school is INSANE as it always is at this time of year. I'm trying to make some time for myself occasionally so that I don't end up at the end of my rope. Oh wait, too late for that. There are 9 weeks left in the semester, and my students are getting just as restless as I am. I'm pretty tired of them, and it's safe to say the feeling is mutual.....they are tired of me as well. I won't even tell you how many research papers I have to grade. Saying the number aloud makes me cry.


Anyhow, I wanted to post a review of Heroines from a while back. It's a fun little read, and I don't want to pass the chance to comment on it. The general idea is that 13-year-old Penny lives in rural Illinois in a B&B with her mother, Anne-Marie, literary heroines step out of their tragic lives to recuperate under Anne-Marie's care.

It gets interesting when a specific heroine's leading man comes looking for her, and long story short, young Penny ends up in a mental institution of sorts and ends up learning much much more about her mother and her mysteriously-absent father. The conclusion is such a fun surprise that I won't really say much else. I will say, however, that Eileen Favorite manages to craft a story that is both ridiculously unrealistic and completely believable for those of us who are book lovers. So many times, I have felt so close to a character that she might as well have been staying at my family home. Favorite just takes this connection to the next logical level as characters relate to real people, and we are reminded of why we read in the first place.


So what am I reading now? Well, I have a general policy that I don't re-read. (I have too many waiting in line.) But I'm re-reading a fabulous book I read about 3 summers ago. I just got an itchin' to read it again, and I am enjoying it almost as much as the first time. If you've read it, you know why it's worthy of a revisit; if you haven't read it, GO READ IT.

I've also ordered Jitterbug Perfume because I liked Skinny Legs and All so much, and I was in a Robbins mood. Anyone read it?


On another note, I should have a new niece next week! Pics will be up soon.