Another interesting book.

Now for a change of scenery:




                                                                      
                    
               
              Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli features a young noble woman in Venice named Donata who lives in the days when only one son and one daughter from a family can marry. Donata is not to marry and she faces a future locked away in one of the countryside convents. She had always dreampt of education like that of her brothers and truly knowing the city she loves so dearly. So, before being shut away as culture demands, she hatches a plan to explore the city. What she sees far exceeds her wildest imaginings.

History

      Donna Jo Napoli was born on February 28, 1948 in Miami, Florida. She is not only a writer but a linguist and a professor at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. She did not expect to become a writer considering troubles reading in her youth, but she later found that it was one of the best ways to express herself. In addition to Daughter of Venice she's written dozens of other novels for both adults and children such as: The Prince of the Pond, The Magic Circle, When Water closes over my Head, Changing Tunes, and Flamingo Dream.

My Thoughts

I found this plot to be very interesting. Often times I don't think about how it was way back in those Vitorian days. Donata is a highly relatable character because of her longings to be more than what is expected of her. I was also very impressed by the rich, historical details. I could really see the beautiful city of Venice and feel the people there. What makes it engaging is wondering if Donata, the bright, intellegent, dreamer will achieve her heart's desires and the turn out is quite surprising!

Back to the classics

Here's a refreshing change of pace:


                                                      

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame features the homey tales of the little creatures living on a peaceful river bank. Not only the day to day lives of good friends, but also the eccentric antics of the humorous Mr. Toad.

History:

      Kenneth Grahame was a Scotish writer born on March 8, 1859. He started young with short stories published in his mid twenties such as Pagan Papers, The Golden Age, and The Reluctant Dragon. But The Wind in The Willows, published in 1908, is said to be the greatest triumph in his writing carreer. It was the acclaimed winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958 and was adapted into a Disney film which is still enjoyed by adults and children everywhere. He never made a sequel, but author William Horwood wrote a series of sequels in the 1990's.

My thoughts:
My introduction to this novel began with my love for it as a film when I was very little. Later my mother gave me the copy my grandmother had, which included small illustrations that she applied. As I read it I found it to be a story from another time, free of the speed and endless changes of technology. The days when one would sit on a river bank on a warm, spring day enjoying the sounds of running water and when hanging out was sitting at a dinner table enjoying good food and real company. The art of story telling was different then--much steadier and filled with other sorts of thrills than those in the novels of today. My aunt reffered to it as one of the books that you want to"lick the pages" because of how wonderfully the words are assembled and she is right. The Wind in The Willows is a true work of art.
                     The mesage I'd like to convey in posting this classic is: take the time to slow down and really enjoy your days as they go by. Do what you love, love everyone while you do it, and don't forget the classics. You'd be surprised what they can teach.


More Literature to Love.

Another series for you all to feast your eyes on!!!!!!!

 





The Capture is book one of the series Gaurdians of Ga'hoole. The story begins with an owl hatchling named Soren who lives with his family in a cozy hollow in the forest kingdom of Tyto. All is well until one horrific night when Soren, half asleep, falls from the nest!! It would have been a death sentence were he not snatched by the owls of St. Aggie's Academy for orphaned owls. There he meets the small owl Gylfie who was snatched up from the desert. Together, they discover the horrific evil lurking behind the academy's so called good deeds and struggle to escape their deadly talons.


History:


                                        Kathryn Lasky is the acclaimed author of hundreds of novels both fiction and non fiction. During her teaching carreer her first novel, I Have Four Names for My Grandfather, was published. Many others followed including this popular book series. Owls fascinated her at an early age and she enjoyed researching their behavior for her books. The Guardian's of Ga'hoole consitst of the following novels: The Capture, The Journey, The Rescue, The Siege, The Shattering, The Burning, The Hatchling, The Outcast, The First Collier, The Coming of Hoole, To be a King, The Golden Tree, The River of Wind, Exile, and The War of the Ember. There is also a prequil, The Rise of a Legend. Furthermore, her novel has recently made into a motion picture and a video game. Kathryn Lasky currently resides in Massachusettes.

My thoughts:
After seeing the movie I wondered if it had been based off a book and sure enough I found them. I was eager and curious as I started to read. It was a bit more of a gradgual way of telling stories than I was used to at the time, but it really started to grow on me. Kathryn Lasky built the entire owl culture in such a natural, believable way. It is a lot fun to look at and she has also proven herself a master of plots. The evil that is presented made me shudder. It's all very easy to picture and follow and I've enjoyed all that I've read so far. Pick it up and enjoy the adventure!