Recent reads

I've been taking a brief break from the classics these last few weeks. It's been. . . fun. I've borrowed a heap of books from the library. Our library will be losing a significant portion of its collection in the near future, so I've been reserving a lot of books from that part of the collection while they're still available! Here's an overview of some of the books I've been reading. Don't forget to add me on Goodreads, if you haven't already. I'm something of a Goodreads addict - I love finding interesting books to add to my ever-growing to-read shelf.

The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards

England 1924: the Doctor and Rose find themselves caught up in the hunt for a murderer. With faceless killers closing in, can they solve the mystery of the Clockwise Man before London itself is destroyed? This is the first of a new series of hardcovers featuring the new Doctor Who from the new TV series.

My first Doctor Who novel. I've been slowly working my way through the TV series, and can't get enough! Eccleston is still my favourite Doctor, and Rose one of my favourite companions, so it was fun to return to their "era". The Clockwise Man was adequately well-written and diverting. Not on the same level as one of TV episodes, but still fun. As with a typical NuWho episode, the story combines elements of mystery and sci-fi. This particular book had something a steam-punk feel to it, thanks to the heavy involvement of clockwork - stuff - in the story. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Storekeeper's Daughter by Wanda Brunstetter

Time seems to stand still in Naomi Fisher's tranquil community, but it cannot hold back tragedy. Helping her widowed father run a store, manage a household, and raise seven children is a daunting task. There is no time to think about courtship or having her own family, though her heart yearns for the attention of Caleb Hoffmeir. But her days are plotted for her-until the afternoon her baby brother disappears from the yard. How can Naomi expect anyone to love and trust her if she can't take care of one small boy? Should she leave all that is familiar and seek a new avenue of life?

My first Wanda Brunstetter novel. Also my first taste of Amish fiction. I wasn't particularly taken with it. The story moved VERY slowly, and the dialogue seemed stilted and unnatural, particularly from the non-Amish characters in the book. There was one particularly ludicrous plot point. . . at which point I stopped reading, and skipped to the end of the book to the resolution that I knew was coming. I gave this 3 stars originally, but considering that I didn't even finish the book, perhaps I should make that 2 out of 5 stars.

Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange

A vibrant retelling of "Sense and Sensibility," Grange's sweeping epic breathes new life into another of Austen's best-loved novels. 

At the age of eighteen, James Brandon's world is shattered when the girl he loves, Eliza, is forced to marry his brother. In despair, he joins the army and leaves England for the East Indies for the next several years. Upon his return, he finds Eliza in a debtors' prison. He rescues her from her terrible situation, but she is dying of consumption and he can do nothing but watch and wait. Heartbroken at her death, he takes some consolation in her illegitimate daughter, who he raises as his ward. But at the age of fifteen, his ward goes missing. Devastated by the thought of what could have happened to her, he is surprised to find himself falling in love with Marianne Dashwood. But Marianne is falling in love with the charismatic Willoughby.


Not perfect, but a brave effort on the part of Amanda Grange. I liked the part of the book that detailed Colonel Brandon's earlier life, but I was actually a bit disappointed with the handling of Brandon and Marianne's relationship. Worth a look if you're a Brandon/Marianne fan like me, or for anyone who loves Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and would be interested in reading a sensitive retelling of the neglected back story of S&S. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Doctor Who fan? Amish fiction reader? Read any of Amanda Grange's Austen hero books? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Diana

Diana by Walter Crane 1881

I love the slightly gloomy, twilit atmosphere of this painting, accentuated by the trees looming in the background. I am more familiar with Walter Crane's illustrations than with his paintings, but I hope to explore more of his works.

Image from Artmagick.

Guilty pleasures: Monarch of the Glen

I am not a TV person. My preferred storytelling mediums are books and films: I generally have little patience for TV dramas. Dramas, with their drawn-out, repetitive, convoluted story lines. Dramas, with their over-abundance of births and deaths, marriages and divorces, hookups and breakups, and, well - dramatic things.

The other thing about TV shows is they take such a DARN LONG TIME to watch. 13 one-hour episodes in a season? I could re-read a Jane Austen book in the time it would take me to watch that. In most cases, Jane Austen would win hands-down.

So, there has to be something very special about a show for me to stick with it. Other than that most diverting program chronicling the adventures of a certain inimitable Doctor, the only TV show that I've ever grown significantly attached to is. . . Monarch of the Glen.

For those of you who are not familiar with the show, here's MotG in a nutshell:

Monarch of the Glen was a BBC drama (it went for 7 seasons) set in present-day Scotland. An elderly lord - or laird - and his wife live in a castle on their estate in the Scottish highlands. It is difficult to make a profit out of the land, and for years they have been losing money. Their son, who lives in London, pays a visit to the family home, and is shocked at the state of affairs. Eventually he decides to leave London and move back to Scotland, where he can devote all his time and energy to saving the family’s ancestral house and lands, and making them profitable again. He takes the reins from his ageing father, and becomes laird of the estate - and the “monarch of the glen”. The son also happens to be quite young and good-looking. Cue numerous "romantic interests". 

I don't know what it was - the setting, the characters, the cast - but there was something about Monarch that I found absolutely irresistible.

I LOVE Scotland, and I love the highlands, and the gorgeous landscapes featured in this series, and the houses, and lochs, and EVERYTHING. I WANNA GO TO SCOTLAND!!! Ahem. I must exercise more restraint in my use of the caps lock for the remainder of this post. But seriously, how could you not love a show where THIS is the main setting?

Ardverikie House, "Glenbogle House" in MotG

The fact that my ancestors came from Scotland also helps make the show extra special for me.

I'm moving there one day. To Scotland, I mean, not to the Victorian castle pictured above (unfortunately). 

Aside from the beautiful setting, what made this show work was the fantastic chemistry between all of the cast. Scottish actor Alistair Mackenzie was good in the lead role of Archie MacDonald, though I was disappointed with how his character was written in later series. Susan Hampshire was radiant as Archie's mother, Molly; and Richard Briers was excellent as dad, Hector.

One of the highlights of this show, as any "Boglie" will tell you, was Julian Fellowes in his guest appearances as Kilwillie. (Yes, the same Julian Fellowes who has won Oscars and Golden Globes and Emmys and who-knows-what else for his screenplays for Gosford Park and Downton Abbey.)

Dawn Steele was wonderful as cook and housekeeper (of sorts), Lexie. She brought tremendous energy and personality to the role, and had loads of chemistry with Alistair Mackenzie/Archie. In a parallel universe, if I were a much less shy version of myself, I would be a slightly more demure version of Lexie. 

The writing of the show was good. In the long term, I didn't like the progression (or lack thereof) of the story arc and characters, but the episodes themselves are tolerably well written, with plenty of humour.

Whilst I would consider myself a fan of MotG, I'll be first to admit that this show had its flaws. Serious flaws. The first series, though not perfect, had plenty of charm, but I felt that the show deteriorated as it progressed through further series. As I said above, I was disappointed with the character and plot development in later seasons. The departure of several core cast members didn't help, either.

So, while Monarch of the Glen didn't live up to its potential, it still remained enough charm, enough of that magic "something" to make me persevere with the show. I am still working my way through it, having started the beginning of the first series sometime last year. I'm now up to the fourth series. I go on a Monarch binge whenever I get sick and want to watch something comforting and not too demanding. For 45 minutes of charming escapism, nothing beats an episode of Monarch of the Glen.

MotG is a "family" show, but parents should take the PG rating seriously. One of the few things that bothers me about this series, from a moral perspective, is that it is implied - and accepted as normal - that couples sleep together before marriage. I know it's only a true reflection of our culture, but it bothered me nonetheless. . .

So - I thought that I'd share this post, since I think many of my gentle readers would appreciate this - er - gentle show. Get it from your library if you can. I understand the Region 1 DVDs retain the original 16:9 (widescreen) screen ratio, so if you're in North America - lucky you! And if you can't get access to the DVDs, there is always Youtube. 

I should also mention that Monarch of the Glen was loosely - emphasis on loosely - based upon Compton Mackenzies' Highland novels. The books are, I understand, very different from the series, and are set in the 1940s, when they were written. I haven't read the books, but I'm keen to give them a look. If they have half the charm and humour of the series, they should be worth reading.

If you've seen any of the show, let me know what you thought. If you're a more-or-less rabid fan, like yours truly, please introduce yourself! And to the uninitiated, if I've inspired you to give MotG a try, please tell me what you think of it afterwards.

And please share any favourite TV shows that you're particularly fond of! Any suggestions for things that you think I might enjoy? 

I've just realised I've said the word "please" three times in about three sentences. Oh so what, I'm just trying to be polite, and I'm too tired to edit and rewrite any longer. Goodnight world!

~More pictures~