Susan here -- running a little late, with apologies! And much in need of a break after some crazy weeks of family stuff, unexpected stuff (the sort we all encounter now and then...), high-pressure whirlwind writing, and a head cold. My head is also crammed with historical research on about a dozen topics at the moment. So if some of you are in a similar place, let's give our heads a little rest and take a short break in Wenchland to play a reading game, something we like to do now and then on the blog.
"What Are You Reading Today?"
Maybe (like me) you're reading several books at once, fiction, nonfiction, research, contemporary, historical, mystery, etc. . . . use more than one book to play if you like!
Please pick up the book (or e-book) that you've been reading most recently, and turn to page 11. Choose the first sentence of the first full paragraph (if it's an unnumbered e-book, tap through 11 screens or choose a page early in the book). Then -- type that sentence (or two) into the Comments area and post it to share with us. Please include the title and author.
The fun of this are the endless variations in what we're all reading. I love a quick peek inside books that I might not have known about or considered otherwise. And since it's a game - there's a prize! I'll send an autographed copy of Mischief and Mistletoe, the Wenches new holiday anthology, to a winner chosen at random from the comments area.
I’ll go first, with more than one book - these are all in the active reading stack:
Page 11 of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare:
"Nothing you need worry about," said Mrs. Black, who had already climbed inside and had her skirts spread out across one of the comfortable-looking seats. The inside of the carriage was richly decorated with plush purple velvet bench seats facing each other, and gold tasseled curtains hanging in the windows."
Page 11 of The Maid and the Queen: the Secret History of Joan of Arc by Nancy Goldstone:
"At first, Raymondin, lost in his own grief, failed even to notice Melusine, but she soon succeeded in securing his attention by calling him by name and recounting the source of his sorrow, much to his astonishment."
Page 10 (because pg. 11 is a chart!) of The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer:
"It is here, among the city's shops, that your preconceptions of medieval England will begin to fall apart. Walk into the center of any large town or city and you will be struck by the extraordinary range of costumes, from russet-clad peasants to richly dressed merchants and esquires and their wives, and maybe even a knight or nobleman."
And page 11 (e-book) of Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (I try to keep at least one classic in play):
"Nick-knock, nick-knock, went the cradle; the candle-flame stretched itself tall, and began jigging up and down; the water dribbled from the matron's elbows, and the song galloped on to the end of the verse, Mrs Durbeyfield regarding her daughter the while. Even now, when burdened with a young family, Joan Durbeyfield was a passionate lover of tune."
Now it’s your turn! What are YOU reading? There could be a giveaway book in it for you - we all could use just one more book, right? :)
~Susan