Nightstand Books?

No one else has their posts up yet, and since I haven't heard to the contrary, I suppose it is still going on...
This is what I have been reading the past month of June!

I didn't finish one single book in June. Isn't that horrible? This month will be chock full of reading, I'm sure.

Some people have comfort foods, or comfort possessions, and I have comfort books. Replay by Sharon Creech is one of them. The story follows Leo, a 12-year-old boy living in a large Italian family. He has two nicknames: Fog Boy, because he's a dreamer, and Sardine, because, once, he said that he felt like a sardine squished in a can. He often feels invisible in his family, especially since Papa had his heart attack three years ago and changed from happy into testy. When Leo finds his father's Autobiography, Age 13 in the attic, Leo can hardly believe that the carefree boy in the book is his father. And who is the mysterious aunt in the pictures who is never talked about anymore? At school, Leo and his classmates prepare to be in a play that their teacher wrote: Rumpopo's Porch. Leo plays the Old Crone.
Sharon Creech was my favorite author when I was younger. Something about her books just appeals to me.
I think it's that the stories are about regular kids doing regular things and going through regular changes and trying to figure everything out. There are no wars, no explosions, no damsels in distress (well, except maybe in The Castle Corona), only regular, everyday sorts of mishaps and adventures.
The only fault in her writing is that rather than look to God for answers, her characters look into themselves. If Sharon Creech had lived 100 years ago, she probably would have been a Bohemian. 200 or 300 years ago, an Enlightenment thinker. I can't stand them either.
Another thing that I love about Replay is watching Leo and his classmates get ready for their play. This book has so many interweaving plot lines, just like life. They don't all come together at the end in a massive plot twist, but how often does that happen in real life?

Next on the list is another comfort book... The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. I started reading this one last night at 2:30 AM when I couldn't sleep. This morning, after some consideration, I decided not to finish this one and put it back on the shelf. After I finish the other books I'm reading, I'll treat myself to The Penderwick sisters and their summer adventure as they vacation at Arundal Hall.

To the Lighthouse by Virgiania Woolf. I hate this book. I'm reading it for literature. I hate this book. More on it later, when I review it. It is the reason I can't stand Bohemians. Ugh.

These next three should look familiar...

Agatha Christie's Autobiography! Yep, still reading this one. I've gotten to World War One. Agatha has begun to write (finally!) and she's married her first husband. Hoping to finish this one in July...

The World of Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse. There are about six more short stories in this collection and I'll be finished with this one too.

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. I'm hoping to finish this one in July as well. I'm really enjoying it, but it's size daunts me. Thankfully, we're going camping in July for a week or so and I am free to spend most of my time reading and writing.

So far my summer reading list is not coming as planned. At all. Other than A.C's Autobiography and To the Lighthouse, I haven't even looked at or started any of the other books on the list. I might make a new one.

***

Speaking of writing... This month I'm taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo!

My project is a fantasy story I started at the beginning of the year, which I am writing out by hand. It came to a screeching halt roundabout March or April because of some plot and character problems, but I really wanted to finish this story, so I decided to try get it done (at least, most of it) this month for Camp NaNo! I work better on a schedule, where I can see my progress as I go along. The plot and character problems have sorted themselves out, thankfully, and while I'm sure I will have numerous plot holes to deal with in Draft Two (because since I'm not using an outline for the first time in forever, my plot keep changing), I no longer feel debilitated because of a character's not so glorious past. 

(Notebook no. 2, and Trusty Pencil)

Princess Rozella has been waiting twenty years to be rescued from her bubble on the peak of Tallest Mountain. Finally, she is saved by a mysterious duo... The Prisoner and The Hag. They take her back to First Country, where she is supposed to marry King John, whose plans include more than marriage... they include taking over the world! 

The Prisoner, even though he rescued Rozella, like King John wanted, is thrown back into the dungeon where he has spent the last decade and a half, for the simple crime of being different, for being unknown.

And what about those shadows permeating the woods, the rumors penetrating the towns? Are they just shadows, are they just rumors, or are the shadows a darker, more sinister threat, come from over mountains and across deserts, to wreak havoc in the land of humans?

I'm not sure how much of the story I already have... Maybe between 40,000 and 50,000 words. And for Camp NaNoWriMo, I have another 2,000+ to add to that already. My goal is 30,000 words, which puts me at about 1000 words a day - or four notebook pages.

And even with these extra 30,000 words, I'm not sure if I'll actually finish the story! It's turning out to be reeeeeeeeeaaaalllyyy long. Which is actually kind of nice, because I can take time with the story. It's also nice not working with an outline. It gives me more freedom, breathing room. I can let the story travel on its own. I do have a sort-of outline in my head, of course... I know the key moments (what happens in the middle, what happens in the end), but getting to those key moments, and what exactly happens in those key moments, I'm just letting happen. 

If I do manage to finish the story this month, I will most likely read through it in the next three months and write up a detailed outline then, so that when NaNoWriMo comes around in November, I can use it to type up the story. Technically that's not allowed... but I don't think they'd mind. Besides, it'll almost be a whole new novel, because it will need a complete overhaul and rewrite as I type it up.

I'm really excited for this project! Over the next few months and years, I'm hoping to rewrite this book several times to fully develop the plot and characters so they seem real (even if it is a fantasy world). I also hope to fully develop the fantasy world as well. It's an interesting place, and I only know about a small corner of it. That's all my characters know too. The humans daren't pass over the mountains that border their land (not that they have any reason to anyway). Unfortunately, there's nothing stopping other creatures from coming over the mountains into human territory. 

Anyway, by the time I'm finished with it, I'm hoping to have something epic, along the lines of The Faerie Queene or Beowulf or The Lord of the Rings.

***

To look out for in the next few weeks...

1. Book review of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

2. Book review of To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.

3. The final four days of our Holland trip, and two extra posts on Holland (roads and churches).

So what are you up to this summer? Reading any good books? Writing? Are you doing Camp NaNoWriMo? Are you going camping?

Live long and prosper!

Top Tuesdays: Holland style!

 

Today was an important day for the Netherlands (also known as Holland). Not only was it Queen's Day (a holiday for the country) but Queen Beatrix, who has been queen over the Netherlands for 33 years, abdicated her throne. Her son, Willem-Alexander took over as king. He's the first king Holland has had in a century!

In honor of this, I've been wearing an orange ribbon in my hair all day (you can also see my new glasses!):

I've been decorating everyone in the house with pieces of orange yarn as well (because orange is Holland's color. The royal family is "the House of Oranje" (the House of Orange).

 

 

Rosey was not very happy that I tied so many things onto her fur. But they are all still in and it has been a few hours... she must have forgotten about them.
I was also inspired to do a Holland-themed photoshoot with Kirsten.... but more on that at the end of the blog post.
First, my top nine things that come from Holland!

8. Hans Brinker (or the Silver Skates).
A children's book about Hans and his sister who skate in a contest to win a pair of silver skates. I read a condensed version of this a few years ago (I didn't know that it was a condensed version) and need to pick up the adult version, which is sitting on the bookshelf.

7. Stroopwafels (and other delicious goodies).

 

Mmmmmmm.... Two thin layers of batter with syrup inside.

6. Windmills!

 

 

5. Cool names.
Such as Jaap, Engalina, Luitzen, Jan, Pieter, etc...

4. Tulips!

My favorite flower.

3. Corrie Ten Boom and her book The Hiding Place.
This is a wonderful book. It tells all about how Corrie trusted God when she was brought to a concentration camp during WW2. A true story and a wonderful, wonderful read. I highly recommend this book.

2. GOUDA!!!!!! (Pronounced gow-da not goo-da. Or, if you want to say it in Dutch, how-da.)

 

The best cheese in the entire world.

1. My Grandparents and all my other family members/ancestors that have come from Holland.

 

 

 (My Grama)

 

So there you have it! Now a few of my favorite pictures from the photoshoot I did with Kirsten. Her dress is from a second hand American Girl store which I think is in Iowa.... It is a traditional Dutch dress from either Gelderland (where my Grama is from) or Groningin (where my Grandpa is from).

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Reading from the Dutch cookbook... which is in Dutch.... therefore, we can't actually cook out of it. Maybe someday.)

 

 

 

(Dutch shoes: klompen.)

 



 

(With a book of Psalms - in Dutch!)

 

 

(Dolls in Trees! And Rosey all ribboned up.)

In other news, I finished Camp NaNoWriMo last night! I wrote 4,500 words last night just to finish... I hit the 50k mark just before 10:00 and then spent the next hour writing the ending - which was only 800 words. Hip hip! I'm finished! Now I don't have to look at it again for 10 years.

And finally some exciting breaking news.... Next jaar sometime mijn oma, mijn vader, mijn moeder, en Ik, zal bezoek het Nederland! (next year sometime my grama, my dad, my mom, and I, will visit the Netherlands! I only had to look up one word. =D)



Lang zal ze leven! Hiep hiep hoera! (Long may she live. Hip hip hurrah!)



At the ocean!

My mom and I took a somewhat impropmtu trip to the ocean with a friend this weekend.
Last night, since I was still feeling under the weather (and very, very tired) I watched Doctor Who the whole night through. Then to bed!
This morning, after sleeping in, I had a cup of tea (because everyone deserves tea).

 

Then we went for a walk on the beach! Er, landing strip.

 

Tintin even came along.

A sailor went to sea sea sea, to see what she could see see see, and what did she see see see, the bottom of the big blue sea sea sea!

 

 

Now I'm watching Pride and Prejudice. AKA, Colin Firth makes weird faces.

Live long and prosper!

'Tis the season....

....to torture your dog.

She hates me. But I don't care. I love her anyway. =)

Tonight I have been watching the live premier red carpet of The Hobbit in New Zealand!! It started with a band playing a bunch of music and ending with the Song of the Lonely Mountain (which their lead singer wrote). Then to the red carpet where the actors and producers and things began to appear! Peter Jackson, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Elijah Wood, a whole bunch of the Dwarfs, and even John Rhys-Davies (Gimli)! They have been interviewed (some of them several times) and so far my favorite has been Sylvester McCoy who is playing Radagast the Brown wizard.

Yes, Miss Jack (and John), that IS a hedgehog! =D
Sylvester McCoy played the Seventh Doctor in Doctor Who and that is not the only reason his interview was my favorite (though he did mention Doctor Who! He said that Peter Jackson has his costume). Sylvester McCoy is quite a character. He was really funny and just sweet. He had a super cool jacket as well. It was all stars and timey wimey. And he had a fun hat. And he actually mentioned hedgehogs in his interview! I thought of you, Miss Jack (and John too!). He said something like, "I was allowed to do some improv... go save this bird! Help this hedgehog!"
I also loved the guy who played The Great Goblin's interview. He was nice and sweet as well.

And now (since it is STILL going on!) Andy Serkis is running all the way back down the red carpet (which is really long) giving people high fives. Andy Serkis is one of my favorite actors, as I've mentioned before.

Anyway, The Hobbit is going to be a fantastic movie. SO much work has been put into it and SO many wonderful actors in it. I am getting seriously excited for this movie. It will be the best movie of the year. I bet it will top even the second Twilight movie.

Sadly Benedict Cumberbatch isn't at this premier. Oh well, I suppose he doesn't have a big enough role in the first movie.
Speaking of Benedict Cumberbatch.... the synopsis for the next Star Trek movie has been released! As you may know, he plays the villain. The synopsis is very vague and really doesn't tell much at all - but it is still a synopsis!

While I'm at it, NaNoWriMo is going well. I hit 46,000 words today and it is looking like my novel will hit 50k after all! Huzzah! Huzzah!
My bad guy has finally been introduced in person.... He is now grappling with one of my main characters. I've left all my characters sticky situations tonight.... And I've accidentally told my invisible audience who my bad guy is which isn't supposed to happen until the fifth book....

It is now nearly 10:00. I have been watching this premier for 3 hours and it still isn't over! The official speeches are to start soon and I'm not altogether sure my mother will let me stay up and watch it.

None the less..... I really want to go re-read the Hobbit for the second time this year. I need to finish the Two Towers first, though.

The great Tolkien himself, with his ever present pipe.

And now the official Hobbit speeches are starting and I should really be going.

Let sleeping dogs lie: a day in the life of Rosey.

Between 8 and 9.... Quietly sleeping on Abbey's bed. Wait! Wait! Is that Mom I hear shifting in her bed down the hall? MOM! MOM! MOM!
Unfortunately to the still sleeping Abbey that sounds like, "YELP! YELP! YELP! WHINE! BARK BARK!"
Rosey then procedes to spend the rest of her day napping under various items in the house.

Under the coffee table....

The star chair....

Under the OTHER coffee table....

Play with me!

Protecting the backyard. Rosey likes to sit outside and just look. Though in the past few weeks she has caught a killed two young possums. That's my fearsome fluffball!

Pretending to be in the depths of depair because Mom went to the dentist.

"Why does Abbey do this to me?"

Under the computer desk.

"Me and my giraffe are just going to ignore you." In her dog bed....

In her kennel....

On the sofa....

"Oh look, a bone."

Under the table....

And the days ends back on Abbey's bed, fast asleep until tomorrow.

A dilemma. And Rosey.

People have been inquiring after Rosey lately so I thought I'd post a picture.... She's doing well. When she's not sleeping she's glaring at me or playing with me or whining for no apparent reason.

Now onto the dilemma.
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month AKA November) is coming up soon. I have the perfect idea that I have been planning for months. The plot is ripening; the characters are more developed than any characters I've ever come up with.... and I haven't even written about them yet!
There's two problems.
One: I still haven't finished last year's NaNo novel and I promsied myself I wouldn't do NaNo this year. I am confidant that I will have last year's NaNo novel done sometime in the middle of October.... The second reason is more pressing.
Two: Time. I don't have time to do NaNo. As well as having a good plot and characters, this novel will require research. I don't have time to do research.... And I don't have time to write for fun every single day. I'm kicing myself over this becasue the idea for my novel is just so good! The characters my own! But I can't do it. Sigh.
I could do my writing in the evenings - when I usually watch Doctor Who or Star Trek or play board games with my dad. But is it worth it? Would I really have enough time?
So there's my dilemma.

Live long and prosper.

Rats!

No, really, rats.
The fallen apples from the trees in our backyard have been attracting rats, although we only found out for sure tonight.
For the past few nights Rosey has been going crazy when she's let out. We figured it must be rats who like to eat the rotten fruit (Mom wonders why they don't eat the nice fruit off the trees. Dad replied by mentioning Templeton the rat from Charlotte's Web who likes garbage).
Tonight Rosey was going particularly crazy so I went outside and watched her snuffling under an old board. While she was at one end, a rat about the size of my hand (despite being a piano player, my hands are pretty small and it is impossible to keep my fingers curled when playing an octave) darted out of the bushes at the other end, ran across the grass and stone walk way, and behind the shed. Rosey didn't notice and I didn't wait around to see if she would pick up the scent. I dashed inside as fast I could go and relayed the tale to my parents. It was followed by many an "ew."
So about an hour later Rosey still hadn't come inside so Mom went out to find her because it was her dinnertime.
Suddenly, "Abbey, Abbey! Get the camera and come!"
So I grab the camera and head outside, followed by Daddy.
Our backyard is mostly grass, with an apple and plum tree in the middle, a garden off to the left, another apple tree to the right, and a shed in the back right hand corner. Behind the shed is another gardeny area which is home to weeds and a pile of rocks. Also back there is a compost bin. Rosey had somehow managed to climb inside. This is what happened....

Now my little ratter is "sleeping" underneath the coffee table, although I can promise you that if there is any scent of a rat or danger, she will be awake in a moment, ready to defend the house. Too bad Westley and Buttercup from The Princess Bride didn't have Rosey with them when they entered the Fire Swamp....

Now on to day 13 (I believe....) of the 30 day challenge which is, "You favorite picture (or five or nine)."
This is one of my most favorite pictures:

However my current desktop background is:

My favorite Van Gogh combined with the TARDIS. How perfect.

I also really like this picture of Allied paratroopers in 1944 dropping from their planes into a Germany-controlled Holland in an attempt to liberate the Dutch. It was called Operation Market Garden and it failed, sadly.

This is also one of my favorite pictures. I love Zoot. Mostly because of his saxophone and also because he is quiet. And I love his hair and sunglasses.

Continuing with the jazzy themed pictures.... The Rat Pack (Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra). I get the feel from this picture that someone just made a joke and while Sammy Davis Jr. (middle) is laughing his head off, and Frank Sinatra (right) is laughing as well, Dean Martin (left) is making a witty comeback. Of course, I don't know if that's the truth... But I love Sammy Davis Jr.'s look.

And staying with the theme of music... Here is George Harrison from The Beatles holding a kitten. This is one of the most adorable pictures ever, if you are a Beatles fan.

And now two pictures from "The Hound of Baskervilles" done by Sidney Paget. I absolutely adore these pictures. The first one is of Watson and Sir Henry Baskerville when they see the silhouette of Holmes against the moon on the moor at night.
"....the figure of a man upon the tor."

The next one is similar.
Sir Henry Baskerville has gone to ask Beryl Stapleton to marry him, not knowing that instead of Stapleton's sister, she is, in fact, his wife.
Watson, who was instructed to watch Sir Henry at all times lest he should be attacked, has followed Sir Henry but stayed at a distance so the man can do his wooing in private. Watson isn't the only watcher though. Mr. Stapleton is nearby and comes rushing angrily in to break up the couple.
In this picture, you can see everything I just described and in the far background, the silhouette of Watson watching. I think that it is SO funny and odd that out of all the other scenes in The Hound, Paget choose to draw this one. I also think it is very funny that he included Watson! Can you spot him?

Now one final Sherlock Holmes picture from the TV show Sherlock. It makes me laugh every time I see it. This isn't how the scene goes in the show... I think this version is funnier.

Now I will leave because pictures are another thing I could ramble on and on and on about.

Live long and prosper and have a great week!