Reality Is Overrated

I begin with writing the first sentence—and trusting to Almighty God for the second. —Laurence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Writer's block: a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Well, that's definitely going on around here. You should be reading a Throwback Thursday post right now—we're long overdue for one of those, aren't we? Rest assured (because I can't) that it's not from lack of effort.

The past couple days have felt eerily familiar to my novel-writing days, or rather, my lack of novel-writing days. I'm stuck in a quagmire of uncreativity. Not a real word, I know, but it's the best I've got. I'm suffering from writer's block, remember? Side note: if you look up the antonym for creativity, it's reality. Which does aptly describe my life right now; there's been far too much reality dwelling lately for a girl who thrives in her own alternate universe.

While I work on pushing pesky reality aside and finding my way back to creative land, here are some favorite first lines from novels I love, as well as some from novels I'm yet to read, whose first lines make me want to add them to my ever-growing, reality-defying stack of books. Ah, the search for that perfect first sentence—the one that will pull your readers in and entice them to pull up a chair and stay a good long while. I know that search has kept me up nights. These authors make it look easy and I'm trying really hard not to hate them for it.

FAMOUS FIRST LINES

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing. —Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. —Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

You better not never tell nobody but God. —Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person. —Anne Tyler, Back When We Were Grownups

I have never begun a novel with more misgiving. —W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge

Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.
—George Eliot, Middlemarch

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. —C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story. —Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome

Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. —Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

All this happened, more or less. —Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five

I am an invisible man. —Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —George Orwell, 1984

I once believed that heroes existed only in old men's fables, that evil in the world had triumphed over good, and that love—a true, unselfish and abiding love—could only be found in a little girl's imagination. —Camron Wright, The Rent Collector

I'm stopping now or I never will. Well, at least not for a few more hours. There are so many more I could share. What are some first lines that have stuck with you through the years?

Posted by Rachel

They Say It's Your Birthday

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. —Marcel Proust

It’s Rachel’s birthday today.  I picked her gifts thoughtfully, but mailed them in a flurry.  If you’re reading this Marie Kondo, I’m beyond help (and your reproach for that matter).  You may have organizational advice, but quite frankly, I need a cape. And I need it now.  Forget about being faster than a speeding bullet, or leaping tall buildings in a single bound.  I just wanna stretch hours in a day.  I just wanna summon up a little more non-three a.m. quiet time.  You know, time for the details, like writing Rachel’s birthday card.   

Here’s what I’d say.  Dear Rae,
Every time this year, I think about how much I hate proximity.  We could celebrate so much better together.  *The Bard said, “With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”  We’ve got mirth and laughter mastered, don’t we? I suppose the old wrinkles are comin.  I’m surprisingly okay with that.  If I have to age, I’m glad I get to grow older with an incomparable friend like you.   

I have to say that for some time I’ve felt like a nightingale that has forgotten the song of my heart.  In the fog of life, I can’t seem to recall the words.  Thank you for singing my song back to me.  Again and again.  You are, in truth, the once-in-a-lifetime friend.  

Happy Birthday girl!  We’ve got lots more of these to look forward to. Love you, Tray

Maybe this blog is better than a cape.  We have a lot to look forward to, don’t we?  Like this month’s book club selection. Rachel and I chose The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.  It’s a little-known Best Seller.  I’ve given it away to nearly a dozen people, all of whom reported loving it.

Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, said this about our pick this month: “This is an amazing, inspiring and heartwarming story! It’s about harnessing the power not just of the wind, but of imagination and ingenuity. Those are the most important forces we have for saving our planet. William Kamkwamba is a hero for our age.”  Like Rachel’s birthday cake, we can’t wait to dive in!

*Yes, I quoted William Shakespeare in your birthday note.  I’m the eternal English major!

Posted by Tracy

Weekly Wrap-Up

Even when a whole library can fit in your palm, the gravity of stories in dog-eared books will never grow obsolete. —Rick Bragg

WHAT WE LOVE THIS WEEK

Rick Bragg writing about books. Rick Bragg writing about anything, really, but today his ode to books is helping us recover from the shock of reading about Marie Kondo's "bulk reduction method." Leave it to Bragg to soothe our book lovin hearts.

Gordon B. Hinckley. For so many reasons. One of which is his love for books: "There is something wonderful about a book. We can pick it up. We can heft it. We can read it. We can set it down. We can think of what we have read. It does something for us. We can share great minds, great actions, and great undertakings in the pages of a book."

We want to move to London for a bazillion reasons, but mostly so we can send out these.

For now, we'll settle for one of these. And what's not to love about a little Big Ben Flare?

The lovely Emma Watson's new book club: Our Shared Shelf. Hermoine Granger would wholeheartedly approve.

You. For putting up with our sporadic posting as of late. Things got away from us again this week. We won't bore you with the details - there are few things drearier than hearing other people talk about how busy they are. We're on it. Promise.

COMING NEXT WEEK

February's Book Club selection.

The things we promised last week from the week before that we didn't deliver once again. We have high hopes.

One Small Thought Can Color The World

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island. —Walt Disney

I’m a bibliophile.  Because I listen ardently to Rachel, I braced myself for Marie Kondo’s not-even-close to magical advice about book keeping. Can I be 100% honest here?  I couldn’t deal with the absolute disregard she has for the beauty of books (despite girding up my loins).  Books are to be treasured, not torn.  They aren’t mere words on a page. Books embody so much more than print.  Take, for example, the picture book What Do You Do With An Idea.

What Do You Do With An Idea is a trove of gorgeous illustrations highlighting a boy and something precious he has created: a brilliant idea.  The story considers how uncomfortable and wonderful it can feel to have an earth-changing idea.  And it underscores the notion that one small persistent thought can color our world.  What a magical message with equally exquisite pictures—but it is more than that alone.  It’s confidence.  It’s hope.  It’s inspiration.

Dreamers and creatives alike will love this bright little read, the recipient of an Independent Publisher’s Book Award.  Wish Rae and I would have encountered it when we initially thought to blog about books.  We would have sprinted with the idea.  This keepsake will remain on my bookshelf for years—ne’er a tear.  Oh and they’re all relevant, lovely, enchanted pages.

Posted by Tracy

Brace Yourselves, Bibliophiles

I personally can't think of anything less sacrosanct than a bad book or even a mediocre book. ―Helene Hanff, 84, Charing Cross Road

I knew it was coming. The moment when Marie and I would go fisticuffs over my book collection. Well, it's here and it ain't pretty. My first instinct was to just skip over her book section and move right on to sorting papers—my true nemesis—but, alas, if I'm being honest with myself, I must admit I may be a borderline book hoarder in need of a little help.

So I broke down and bought a new book (keep your snickering to yourselves) and dove in, with as open a mind as I could muster. Trust me, it took a lot of mustering just to make it through the first couple pages of the section, but I persevered. Until I read this:

Once you have piled your books, take them in your hand one by one and decide whether you want to keep or discard each one. The criterion is, of course, whether or not it gives you a thrill of pleasure when you touch it. (I'm still with her...barely...until these next three sentences.) Remember, I said when you touch it. Make sure you don't start reading it. Reading clouds your judgement.

Whaaaat? Did I read that correctly? Or maybe reading is clouding my judgement. I'm to keep a book based on how I feel touching it, not reading it. We are talking about books, right? Credibility is flying out the window at this point, but still I muster on. The next thing I know, she's coming for my stack of books waiting to be read. I suppose for her that stack is unsettling. For me, it's pure joy. I'll throw her a bone here though. There are a few books in that stack I'm thinking I'll never end up reading, so I've decided to part ways. Score a small victory for Marie.

It's a short-lived one, however, as she tries to convince me I'm never going to finish Anna Karenina. "There's no need to finish books that you only got halfway through. Their purpose was to be read halfway." Do you hear that? That's Tolstoy rolling over in his grave.

And then folks...well...she dares go where no book lover in their right mind would even conceive of anyone going. She introduces what she calls the "bulk reduction method." Yes, it's as horrifying as it sounds. Realizing that in some instances it wasn't the book she wanted to keep, but rather certain information or sentences in the book, she decided (you may want to sit down for this) "to rip the relevant page out of the book" and keep it in a file. Sacrilege! Cue the collective gasp of bibliophiles everywhere. 

Here's a woman who loses sleep over the treatment of our socks, yet heartlessly defiles books by the dozens, rendering them useless to other readers. It's as if she doesn't have room to keep an entire painting, so she tears off her favorite part and discards the rest. I'm at a loss for words.

Clearly, Marie and I are at an impasse when it comes to my books—as in she's not allowed anywhere near them. I'll stick with Helene Hanff's approach instead (mentioned in the quote at top of post) and give away any mediocre books languishing on my shelves—undefiled. The bad books never made it to a shelf in the first place. My shelves will soon be lined with only books I love and those I plan to read, or yes, finish one day. Anna Karenina, I'm coming for you.

Posted by Rachel

Weekly Wrap-Up

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. —William Shakespeare, Richard II

WHAT WE LOVE THIS WEEK

England. We're missing her more than ever as we live vicariously through 27, Palace Court's newest resident's Snapchat stories. Pardon us as we indulge ourselves in all things Brit—starting with this darling read: How to Speak Brit. We're sold on the cover alone. And the word flummoxing. Among other charming things, it promises to answer such pressing questions as who is Bob and how did he become your uncle?

Our walls are calling for one of these. While we're at it, one of these too...in Piccadilly Pink, please. These vintage London Underground posters may be our favorites though. This one would be darling in a child's room as would this Take them to the Zoo edition from 1924.

This would look smashing on our sofa. And wouldn't this just finish off the room nicely?

Downton Abbey. Of course. What's not to love about beautiful people in a beautiful place speaking in beautiful British accents? Lest you think it would be just as charming set in America, this will change your mind.

British bookshops. We ask, as did Henry Ward Beecher, “Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?” Never more so than in a British one, Mr. Beecher.

Boden. Be still our Johnnie-lovin hearts.

George. Oh my heavens, George.

COMING NEXT WEEK

What happens when the KonMari method collides with our book collections.

Everything we promised last week but didn't deliver...

IN CASE YOU SOMEHOW MISSED THIS

Don't be scared off by the length - it's worth all of its fifteen minutes and more. As good friend put it: this should be required watching for happy people.

The Dreams Will Come to You

It's not about the cards you're dealt, but how you play the hand.

Yes.  You heard Rachel right.  I’m chasing a puppy instead of my dreams.  I guess I should be reading Good Dog. Stay.—but I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m gonna have to work up to that.  Baby step to four o’clock. Baby step onto the elevator.  Baby step to dog lovin.  

The week did overtake me, maybe even tackled me.  The puppy, the kids’ welfare, college-essay deadlines, grading, laundry, the puppy, whole food decisions, raise money for charityvision, the puppy: it all adds up.  But my last few posts have left me wanting…to write about The Last Lecture, and well, to eat some jujyfruits.  So here’s a Throwback Thursday on Friday.  Is anyone surprised by this?

If you loved Tuesdays with Morrie, you’ll love The Last Lecture. (If you haven’t read Tuesdays with Morrie, do whatever it takes to put that book at the top of the stack next to your bed, you won’t be sorry.) Randy Paush, professor of smart subjects at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to speak as part of an ongoing series of speeches where top academics deliver wisdom they would impart if they knew it was their last chance.  Ironically, Paush was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer one month before he was to give his “final” lecture entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.”

The Last Lecture beautifully fleshes out Paush’s advice on achieving childhood dreams, advice he wanted to leave for his three children.  Maybe it’s the sort of advice that comes when you know you have months to live, not years.  It’s wrapped in perspective.  He gives important reminders: “One thing that makes it possible to be an optimist is if you have a contingency plan for when all hell breaks loose.” Or simply put, “When we're connected to others, we become better people.”  Of course the advice to live with child-like wonder resonates with me.  So, if you’re overwhelmed, or spent, or maybe you’re just shy of exhausted…some life reminders may be just the medicine you need?

Posted by Tracy

Our Stack Of Books

Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book. —Jane Smiley.

Oh, Jane. Me too. While this week hasn't gone at all as planned around here, just looking at these books makes me feel a bit cheerier. While Tracy and I pull ourselves together, here's a look at what we're currently reading and will be reviewing soon.

WHAT I'M READING

"As soon as I saw this book I knew you had to have it," my sister-in-law said as she gave me What We See When We Read. That just happens to be one of my favorite sentences ever. Thanks Lil!

Tracy sent me this beautiful book, not having any idea how timely it would be. But then she's always had a knack for that sort of thing. Thanks, Tray. Only forty-five pages in,  and I'm already thinking When Breath Becomes Air may be one of my favorite reads of the year.

MY LATEST LISTEN

The Lake House is pure escapism. Something I've been needing a little more of lately.

WHAT TRACY'S READING

I've had my eye on The Life We Bury for a while now. Looking forward to Tracy's verdict. She's currently chasing a brand new puppy around the house though so we may be in for a bit of wait. Ringo is rulin the roost!

Posted by Rachel