Thursday at My Bookshelf

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What, if any, kind of music do you listen to when you're reading?

I usually prefer quiet so I can totally immerse my senses in my reading.  However, I do have a couple CDs of classical/easy listening music that I will listen to time and again.  I keep the sound down low so it is complimentary background music.  I also like to go sit by the pond/waterfall to read.  It's very soothing to relax there with a great read!

Do you listen to music while you read?

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly bookish event, hosted by Reading Between Pages, open from one Thursday to the next.  Anyone can participate!  

The rules are simple:  A theme will be posted each week on Thursdays

• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you  are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)

This week's theme is "male"

 From Reflections of a Successful Wallflower, page 45:

Mark was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.  He was thin....Intelligent, quick, very verbal, very bohemian and talented....Also he was very boyish, and made no attempt to hide it.

Join in with this week's fun meme and share your quote from your current novel.  Please leave a comment with a link to your Theme Thursday and/or Booking Through Thursday so I can return the visit. 

Theme Thursdays 5/26/11 from Jane Eyre

This is a fun weekly event hosted Kavyen at Reading Between Pages. “Theme Thursdays” will be open from one Thursday to the next and anyone can post it. The rules are simple:

A theme will be posted each week (on Thursdays)

• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Post it and don’t forget to mention the author and the title of the book
• Since we may take a few days to finish a book, this event is open for one whole week

 This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week’s theme is – Conversation

         "Will you go in and bid Missis good-bye?"

     "No, Bessie: she came to my crib last night when you were gone down to supper, and said I need not disturb her in the morning, or my cousins either; and she told me to remember that she had always been my best friend, and to speak of her and be grateful to her accordingly."

     "What did you  say, miss?"

     "Nothing:  I covered my face with the bedclothes, and turned from her to the wall."

     "That was wrong, Miss Jane."

     "It was quite right, Bessie:  your Missis has not been my friend; she has been my foe."

     "Oh, Miss Jane!  don't say so!"

    "Good-bye to Gateshead!" cried I, as we passed through the hall and went out at the front door.

~ Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte p. 41

Young Jane is an orphan who has been living under the roof of her aunt, the "Missis" in the quote above.  I don't say living with her aunt because Jane's aunt makes it very clear that Jane's presence is "put upon her".  She has no liking for the child, nor do her children.  When the opportunity comes for Jane to leave the residence to go away to school, Jane is very pleased, to say the least.  This segment from the book is a conversation between Jane and Bessie, one of the children's nannies.  Bessie is the closest thing Jane has to a friend and confidante, but this is not realised until near the time of Jane's departure, when Bessie reveals her fondness to the child.

I haven't gotten far into Jane Eyre yet, but I must say, 'what took me so long to read this amazing book?'!!  I am into the sixth chapter and am totally enthralled with Charlotte Bronte's story.  I've read that this is autobiographical, but of that I am not sure.  Perhaps an enlightened reader can tell me for sure.  Jane Eyre is our book club book of the month for June and is sure to make for an interesting discussion!

Please leave a comment here with a link to your post, so I too may catch a glimpse into what you are reading and, perhaps, find more books to add to an evergrowing wishlist!  :)

 

Women Relationships in Books: Theme Thursdays 5/12/11

Theme Thursdays, hosted by Reading Between the Pages, is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it.  This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

We just celebrated Mother's day so this week's theme had to be a celebration of women. Go ahead and post on ........

WOMEN RELATIONSHIPS

Relation that one can have with a women like Mother, Aunt, Grandmother, Sister, Girlfriend, etc.

My THURSDAY THEME for WOMEN RELATIONSHIPS is below.

The following relates to a conversation between the parents of one of the book's (Minding Frankie) characters, Lisa. Beginning with Lisa's father: 

"She seemed upset."

"I can't imagine why."

"She doesn't have your sense of detachment - that's why."

"She hasn't gone for good.  I see her door is open.  She's left all her things here."  Lisa's mother spoke as if she were talking about a casual acquaintance.

"Of course she hasn't gone for good.  Where would she go?"

Lisa's mother shrugged her shoulders again.  "She'll end up doing what she wants to do.  Like everyone..."she said and walked out the door that her husband had just come in.

~ pages 130-131 Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy

The author, Maeve Binchy, writes relationships extraordinarily well; and is known for her meticulous attention to character and relationship development.  With the myriad of characters within her novels, some that carry over from another, she has carefully woven an intricate life for each person.  Sometimes lovely and uplifting, at other times, downtrodden and dismayed; the characters face real everyday issues and struggles, with similar problems that the reader might face.  Some do it better than others and are often a work in progress, as in Minding Frankie. 

This quote reveals in small measure the relationships of this family.  Disinterest, detachment, and disbelief are mutual among the father, mother and daughter (who is an adult, by the way).  All is not so disheartening, though, in Minding Frankie.  One must read the rest to see all the small miracles that occur amongst the characters in this Ireland town.  

Won't you share your Theme Thursday answer in the comment section or please leave me a link so I might come visit.  (It's rhetorical;  I assume a return visit is in order)

Theme Thursdays 4/21/11

 

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:  

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursdays)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

 This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

 

And this week’s theme is ……..

 

WEATHER

 "The golden light gathered around her again.  She was back in the meadow and so very sleepy.  She lay down on the grass.  The breeze blew over her, whispering her name, and she fell into a deep sleep."  ~ page 237, Quicksilver by Joy Spraycar






Please share your Theme Thursdays link with me so I can return the visit or leave it in the comments.  Have a great day.

  

 

 

Theme Thursdays 3/24/11

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

-A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday's)

-Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading

-Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post

-It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don't necessarily need to have the word)

Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have "They kissed so gently" or "Their lips touched each other" or "The smooch was so passionate"

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week's theme is - BUILDING

"Then the bus got underway after one last head check, slowly creeping out of the parking lot.  Sitting next to the window, Linda turned away, watching the buildings fade behind them." ~ The Killing Game by J.C. Stevens.  page 63

The Killing Game is about a mob hit man forced out of retirement to kidnap and deliver a government witness but instead has a plan of his own to survive...The Killing Game.
Leave a comment here with a link to your post. Be sure to link up at Kavyen's Reading Between the Pages. Do make sure to visit and comment on other Theme Thursdays.