Merry Early Christmas to Me!

For years I always put money aside so I could buy myself a few books before Christmas. This was mainly because growing up I rarely, if ever, received any as gifts. Nowadays I have better luck in that department, but I decided to return to that tradition this year. I can still remember some of the authors I have read and discovered because of these 'little' splurges. This year I gave myself 10 weeks and 20 dollars every two weeks to order one book. I ordered a couple online, though, so I am actually two weeks ahead. But, it was either that or pay shipping.

I started with the 50th Anniversary Edition of A Wrinkle of Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I love her books and was very disappointed I was not asked to participate in the large blog tour for her release. I bought it from the UK and it has this cover:

You would probably not be surprised I have been tempted to also buy the American edition... I actually have A Wrinkle in Time 4 or 5 times all ready. I recently found the boxed set at a thrift store.

Then, Fairest came out in trade paperback. I had to have that for sure!

And, finally, finally there was the release of Werewolves of the Heartland. I got to read an ARC on my tablet, but I still had to have the pretty physical copy. I imagine I will have to revisit the comic before I add it to my collection.

Then I decided to get a comic series to try. I am always caught up on Fables and The Unwritten and want a new project to occupy my time. I decided that after enjoying Pride of Baghdad so much I was going to read Brian K. Vaughan. They have released the series in hardcover collected editions, so I have decided to go that route instead of buying the individual trades.

And, my last arrival will be, also unsurprisingly, the graphic novel edition of A Wrinkle in Time. I really hope I like it. I have hummed and hawed about buying it since it came out... This was the 5th purchase so hasn't arrived yet.

I have spent a lot of money on books lately...

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

"Bah Humbug!" That's how Ebeneezer Scrooge feels about Christmas--until the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future decide to show the crotchety old miser the error of his ways. Together they travel through time, revisiting all the people who have played an important role in Scrooge's life. And as their journey concludes, Scrooge is reminded of what it means to have love in his heart, and what the true spirit of Christmas is all about. A timeless story the whole family will enjoy!

Dear Mr. Dickens,

It might seem strange that I am writing a letter to a man that has been dead for many years, but it also seems very fitting. A Christmas Carol is a ghost story, so let us pretend that ghosts are real and that Mr. Dickens has the ability to read all the things written about him after he died. He was, in many ways, an author that was only appreciated after he was deceased, so it is nice to think of him being able to revel in the praises of the generations that have came after him. At the same time, it is rather creepy to think about a ghost reading these words over my shoulder! I just find that writing letters is more my style. I can write 'formal' reviews, but I was finding them a chore. The few letters I have written this year have been a lot more fun, so I think you might see me slowly moving in that direction.

Anyway, Mr. Dickens, I have quite gone off-topic, something I am very good at, so I should probably get back to the book that is at hand. I love A Christmas Carol. I have read it many times over the years and I never tire of the story. You have written a story that is very fitting for the ages because within these pages you have shown what Christmas is really about. I just love every word. I do not believe there is a wasted one anywhere in the story. And, it sticks with you. I might not be able to say passages word for word, but there are sentences that stick with you even after you have long closed the book. When I sit down to enjoy this book and see the opening sentence: "Marley was dead, to begin with", I feel like I am coming home. It is like visiting with old friends. And, even though there are no longer any surprises, I still feel the emotions like I am reading it for the first time: outrage at Scrooge, sympathy for his over-worked clerk, a little creeped out by the ghost of Christmas yet to come, etc. It is truly a master that can make people feel for characters over and over again.

While you might not really comprehend the phrasing 'classic literature' because classic literature was very different in your day, you have to understand how rare it is for me to sing the praises of a classic, to me, author. I just love this book! There is really no other way to describe it. I get caught up in the story everytime and I am always sad when I finish. There is just something magically about the world that you have created. In many ways, while this is not necessarily a fantasy story, it is probably the story that moved me in that direction when I was very young. I like to believe that anything is possible, and in this story, three ghosts visit a cranky, rude, older man and show him the true meaning of living. They show him what will happen if he doesn't learn the error of his ways, and he gets a second chance. It is not forced on him, he could have come out of those experiences still not seeing the errors of his ways, but he doesn't. It's just the way the world should work, everyone should have a second chance.

This is really all I feel I have to say. I think everyone and their dog is familiar with the basic story, even if they haven't actually read this book. I am telling you now, though, you can not truly appreciate the magic of this book if you don't read the original. I am sure Mr. Dickens would agree. I am totally going back to my yearly tradition of reading this story. I have missed it. It was wonderful to visit with old friends this holiday season! Thank you, Mr. Dickens. I have read many other of your works, (and actually plan to do some reading of you in the New Year), but this will always be my favourite.

Until next time!

Life.... Or Something Like It....

Well, for a month at work, I was working 12 at night until 8 in the morning. It was just training, so now I am back on regular hours. This has resulted in me not being about to sleep at night. Yesterday I was up at 5:30 after only about two hours sleep. This morning I have been up since 4:30, or a bit before. I at least went to bed early last night, so it could be worse. I have to work 8-4 today, so I am not going to be able to go back to sleep. I just hope the few hours I did get are enough to get me through the day because right now I am wide awake! Hopefully I readjust to regular hours soon!

On Christmas Eve, we decided to celebrate Christmas this year. I had to work today, so I wanted to celebrate on a day when I did not have work to look forward to. So, last night we opened presents. I only get one book for Christmas each year. Unless I make an extensive list for my mother, she would rather buy me gift cards. This year, she accidently bought me two gift cards because she forgot about one of them, so I ended up with 150 dollars to buy books with. Then, my grandmother bought me another one for fifty dollars, so yesterday I spent 200 dollars on books. I preordered some of the books I am looking forward to this year, as well as ordered a few books that are out right now and I have been waiting to read. The final list is as follows:

1. Sisters in the Wilderness: The Lives of Susanna Moodie and Catherine Parr Traill by Charlotte Gray. I read Reluctant Genius by her this year and I really liked her writing style. Moodie and Traill were two of the first women in the newly settled, what is now, Canada.

2. I've Got a Home in Glory Land: The Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad by Karolyn Smardz-Frost. I first added this book to my wish list when it was nominated for the Governor General's awards this year. It went on to win the award, but you would never know it. It looks really interesting, so I knew I was going to have to get it soon.

3. Mary Modern by Camille Deangelis. I asked Carl what book I should get with my gift card money, and this is one of the books he recommended. I had it on my wish list and I really like the cover, so it seemed like a good choice.

4. The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist. Heather really liked this book, so much so that it moved up my list. I really wanted it, but the cover I like is fifty bucks. I gave in, though, and just bought the other cheaper cover. Carl also recommended this book based on what he had read of it, but I am not sure if he has actually finished it yet.

5. Queen's Handmaiden by Jennifer Ashley. I have heard good things about this young adult book, so I decided to add it in. It was actually a last minute decision when another book I had planned to get is now not coming out until April. I didn't want to preorder too ahead of time.

6. Daughter of York by Anne Easter Smith. This is the sequel to A Rose for the Crown, so it was an automatic purchase. The first book was one of my favourite reads of 2006, so hopefully this will be one of my favourites of 2008.

7. The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason. I read her previous two books in 2007, so you know that I need to see what happens next! I look forward to the third installment of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles.

8. The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin. This is the sequel to Mistress of the Art of Death, another favourite from 2007, so I look forward to seeing if this one lives up to it.

9. Fire Study by Maria Snyder. The third book in the trilogy that includes Poison Study and Magic Study, it was not supposed to be out until the fall, but now it is saying the spring. I really hope that is not a typo!

10.Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine. The third book in the Morganville Vampires series. Not a fabulous series, but enjoyable.

11.The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Finally! You have no idea how many times this has been in my shopping card, but replaced by something else in the end. Many people consider it their favourite by her, so I am excited. I am going to try and read the large pile of books I have by her next year, and then I hope to start reading her diaries.

12.The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies. Nominated for the Booker Award, this one really interested me, so I have been planning on getting it at some point all year.

13.The Gathering by Anne Enright. The winner of the Booker Award and a book that is making many people's favourite fiction books of 2007, I decided to see what all the hype was about. This is the only non fantasy or historical fiction book on my list. My plan is to cut back on genres because I read too many now, and it is too hard to keep up!

14.Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs. The third book in the Mercedes Thompson series. I have to see what Mercy is up to now, and then later on this year I will get a new series from Briggs! I am looking forward to having more than one book from her a year, although I still have her older books to read....

And, book 15, my mother bought me for Christmas. I received Darkmans by Nicola Barker. It was nominated for the Booker Award, but a bit hard to find for a while there. I saw it at the bookstore one day, and my mother offered to give it to me as a gift.

I still have a bit of book money left over. I plan to purchase The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray when it comes out, so that is where some of it will be going. I hope the bookstore gets it in, because I left it off these orders. I thought I would have a better chance of getting it soon if I just bought it at the store. There are still many other books on my to be bought list, but 15 are now gone. Now, I just have to stay away from the bookstores until about March!

I will share my other gifts later. This post is a bit long. If I am awake after work I plan to take some pictures with my best Christmas present of all! My Camera! Which is all paid for now. Yay! With my crazy hours lately I have been sleeping when it is light out, so I have not had a lot of chances to play with it. Now that I am back on regular hours I hope to spend a lot of time with it and the books that come with it. I also have a few books on photography that I plan to read, so this should get me through the rest of the winter.

And, yes, I am still in love with these pictures by Rob Gonsalves.

Organizing - Part Two

Since exams will be starting soon, and I might not be posting very much, here are the Christmas related books that I am looking forward to (maybe) reading in December:

A Christmas Promise by Thomas Kinkade
The Christmas Angel by Thomas Kinkade
A Christmas to Remember by Thomas Kinkade
Midnight in Death by J.D. Robb
Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb

I wish I had a bit more... serious reading, but that's the list. If I get ambitious, though, I have rereading I can do of past years Christmas reading.