Secondly: it has been a very long time, it seems. Not because I haven't been reading, but because I haven't been writing.
It's been an unusual year. This time last year I was in the middle of my NQT year (probationary year of teaching) and struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Now I am a supply teacher, mainly working long term in one school, living on the other side of Sheffield, and completing my Masters in Education as well as taking an AS-level German class on the side. Lots of things happened to get me to this place, and it has been nothing if not a challenge. Who knows where I will be in December 2014.
As I look forward to the future I find myself wanting to make some resolutions, which I very rarely do.1: exercise once a week
2: be thankful for people more (I plan to randomly show my appreciation via social network as well as in person!)
3: write something about all the books I read.
For Christmas from my housemates I received this:
It's a Moleskine reading journal ('Organise your passion!'). After it made me smile, I thought it might help me in my resolution, so a good gift (thanks, J and D).
I'm hoping this will help me to blog about books I am reading more, and to be slightly more insightful too.
Since I regularly have a variety of books on the go at once (lack of attention span/love of variety) the following should be making an appearance at some point:
Evening in the Palace of Reason, James Gaines - non-fiction about the Baroque/Enlightenment battle shown in J.S. Bach's composition of a 6-part fugue from a seemingly impossible melody given him by Frederick the Great of Prussia. Seems interesting from the start...
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien - I have read this, but after seeing and being not greatly impressed by the second movie felt it needed a re-read for me to be able to appreciate what Tolkien originally wrote.
Shadows on the Rock, Willa Cather - started reading this ages ago and for some reason put it down for a while. Centres on a father and daughter in 17th century Quebec and is beautiful.
The Handmaiden's Tale, Margaret Atwood - I've heard so much about this but never read it, and as I was given it as a Christmas present there's no excuse now!
The Devil's Novice, Ellis Peters - the eighth instalment of the 'Brother Cadfael Chronicles', which I discovered a few months ago and have been greatly enjoying. I like to read the novel then (with the aid of a certain video website) watch the 90s TV episode featuring the wonderful Derek Jacobi. My favourites so far have probably been A Morbid Taste for Bones (book 1), The Leper of St Giles (book 5) and The Sanctuary Sparrow (book 7). I'm sure I will blog on it at some point.
Gormenghast Trilogy, Mervyn Peake - I read Titus Groan several years ago, and was excited to pick up a beautiful copy of the trilogy in a charity shop in September. Sadly I got stuck somewhere around Titus' christening and really need to finish this!
As tempted as I am to continue and give my thoughts on Death Comes to Pemberley and various other things I have read/seen, let's call it a day for now...
