Books

I ignored my long list of things to accomplish today and laid in bed reading for the whole three hours Curly Top was in school. I started Bright Sword of Ireland Saturday night. This was another book I judged by the cover. The instant I picked it up I knew it would feed my craving of for Celtic legends. Finn Mac Cool by Morgan Llywelyn is one of my favorite books, so a chance to read more about mythical Ireland was the main reason I bought this one. Like most of the books I buy I found it on the bargain book table and picked it up for a couple of dollars. I then tossed it on the stack beside my bed to pick up when I was in between books.
The writing in Bright Sword of Ireland does not encourage that type of intimacy that makes you fall into a story and struggle to keep your mind on anything else during the day. I don't go rushing for it anytime I have a few spare minutes. Instead I read it in long stretches kept at a slight distance from the characters and their story. When I am reading the land and the magic draw me close. I don't want to put it down and leave the land, but when I do I am free, back in my own life, not constantly thinking about the story I need to get back to.
Since I love history I like my books full of historical details as long as they don't distract me from the story. When I'm reading and stop to think 'wow, this author has done a lot of research' I'm always a little irritated that I was yanked out of the story like that. At least once I wondered if the that was the intent. (Plains of Passage, I'm looking at you.)The glossary and pronunciation guide in the front have been very helpful. I consult it at least every other page, because who would have thought Conchobar would be pronounced Conor.
I mentioned the The Historian the other day and that was a book I had trouble putting down. For the whole three days I was reading it the book was always in the back of my mind, and close at hand so I could pick it up often. Bright Sword of Ireland is one I'll keep beside my bed for when I have long stretches of time to read. Looking over some reviews of The Historian one of the complaints people had was the pacing. My copy of Finn Mac Cool I loaned to a friend who dogeared every page, because she never could read more than one page before she got bored. I read Space by James Michener twice as a teenager and loved it, my brother who reads everything found it too boring to finish. The slow journey to the monastery in The Name of the Rose was a great start for that book. It seems that in a world moving faster every year I am still wandering slowly. I'm so glad there are still writers who write at such a pleasing place.
I have been rambling on about books and haven't mentioned Lee's broken bone. He just called though and needs me to bring him a pain pill.