July 30-comparing two favorite characters

This month I read both a mystery by J.D. Robb and a novel by Jacqueline Winspear, two of the series that I have discovered recently and I’m trying to catch up on.  Although they are completely different types of stories I have a good time comparing Maisie Dobbs with Eve Dallas-in some ways the antithesis of each other and yet some similarities at the core.  Both had difficult childhoods and both have suffered a traumatic experience with which they have to deal.  Both investigate mysteries:  Maisie as a private investigator and psychologist who has incredible intuition and an ability to read people; and Eve as a homicide detective for the New York City police.  Both are passionate about their jobs, Maisie with not only solving the “mystery” but helping all concerned deal with the aftermath and Eve with standing as Justice for the victim making sure the perpetrator pays for the crime.  Both are strong females that work at managing their vulnerability.    I like both of these characters and, especially in the J.D. Robb series, it s one of the main reasons that I keep going back to the series.

Unfortunately, I may never meet anyone who reads both so I can discuss this idea-unless I can convince Mary to read the Maisie Dobbs series.  I’m amazed that she likes the Eve Dallas series; I think she might like Maisie even better.  Diana doesn’t like Eve and I suspect Melinda wouldn’t, either-too gritty, and too futuristic-but they both like Maisie.

Winspear’s series is clearly better literature with each one being well crafted and historically researched.  So far there are five books in the series.  I found book five in hardcover on a sale table at B&N last week so sometime in the next few weeks I will be caught up and anxiously awaiting another installment.  Robb churns out her series at the rate of two a year in addition to all the books she cranks out under the Nora Roberts name.  I’ve read the first twelve plus two others out of order; in November she will publish number 27.  It will take me quite a while to catch up.  One thing that helps with the catching up is that these are very fast reads, a maximum of two easy nights reading assuming I’m smart and go to bed on time and don’t stay up to finish it! Let’s face it.  I like the Eve Dallas series because it’s chick fantasy!   Much of the attraction of the Maisie Dobbs series is its historical accuracy as well as appealing continuing characters you care about.

July 31-2008 goals and plans for the blog

I’ve been so busy trying to set up my new book blog that I’ve only had time to make one daily note-which may be defeating the purpose of the blog, which is to share my thoughts on reading.   In fact, I found I was also neglecting my reading.  I had set a goal of trying to read a minimum of six books a month for this year and I had to stay up late tonight to finish my 6^th book for July.  However, I’m still well ahead for the year since in the first six months I averaged nearly 9 books a month-53 books completed by the end of June.

My goal for the second six months is to read at least one classic book every month as well as to continue reading at least six books each month.  Luckily, in July my classic book was a short one.  If I decide to tackle Anna Karenina this year I may be glad I’m so far ahead in my total book tally!  In addition to having had a desire for many years to read that novel, it has the added bonus of giving me a big boost toward my goal of 10,000 pages from my personal library in 2008.  I have just a little over 2,000 pages more to reach my goal and Anna would be about half of the amount I have left.  Since all my classics will be from my personal library this year I have a good chance to exceed that goal, also.

However, first I must finish setting up the blog.  I planned to have the blog “start” with January of this year as I can draw from this journal to fill in the first six months.  I think I have May, June and the rest of July to catch up.  When reading I often make connections to other books I’ve read so I may go back to previous journals when I find a relationship between a current book and one I’ve read previously.  I also tend to read “series” books-especially mysteries-so I will use the earlier journals to fill in there, also.  One important thing I must learn next is how to make internal links when I want to refer to a book I’ve already read so the reader of the blog can just click a link to go to than review.