Mini Review: Mozart's Letters, Mozarts Life complied and edited by Robert Spaethling

Book: Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life compiled and edited by Robert Spaethling.
Published by W.W. Norton & Company; 2005
496 pages
Format: Paperback
Genres: Letters/memoirs/autobiograhy
I bought this book
This book counts towards my Classics Club List.
Synopsis via Goodreads: "Mozart's honesty, his awareness of his own genius and his contempt for authority all shine out from these letters."—Sunday Times  (London). " In Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life, Robert Spaethling presents "Mozart in all the rawness of his driving energies" (Spectator), preserved in the "zany, often angry effervescence" of his writing (Observer). Where other translators have ignored Mozart's atrocious spelling and tempered his foul language, "Robert Spaethling's new translations are lively and racy, and do justice to Mozart's restlessly inventive mind" (Daily Mail). Carefully selected and meticulously annotated, this collection of letters "should be on the shelves of every music lover" (BBC Music Magazine).

I love biographies and classical composers, Mozart being one of my favorites so I couldn’t wait to read this.

I would definitely say that this autobiographical collection of letters is more suited for die-hard Mozart fans especially, but that even the die-hard fans will be a little surprised. For example, had I not read it myself, I would never have believed that Mozart included fart jokes in letters to his sister! 

It is clear from the letters that he was especially close to his mother and sister despite the many months he spent away from them trying to establish himself as a composer throughout Europe.

I was surprised that it was his father that seemed more driven and ambitious than Mozart himself. I really liked that as the letter’s continued throughout his life, you could tell that though he matured, and that he truly had a gift for music, he didn’t take himself too seriously and remained a bit cheeky in his correspondence.

After finishing this collection of letters I love Mozart a little bit more if that is possible. Though he was impulsive and a bit flighty, and died far too young, his charm may actually outweigh his vast talent in my opinion.

Incoming/Outgoing #1

Let's start with incoming books. I definitely raided the YA room at work. The only title I got that was not YA is the top book.

I hope to get through some of these for #boutofbooks which starts soon! Woohoo!
Titles bottom to top are:

• This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
• A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
• Shift by Charlotte Agell
• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle
• Need by Carrie Jones
• Bewitching by Alex Flinn
• Everyday by David Levithan
• Gone by Michael Grant
• If He Had Been With Me by Lauren Nowlan
• The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose
  
  
  Incoming Mail! (Though I do prefer the term "Post". Why don't we say that in the States?)
  One of my lovely penpals Reannon sent me the cutest Hello Kitty themed letter.
  
  
  
  
  Outgoing Post:
  
  
  Left to right, top to bottom:
  Letters sent to my friends Jatta in Finland, Jessica in France, Tessa in the Netherlands and Irina from Russia.
  The back of the letters look like this:
  

Today I sent out two more letters to penpals after stocking up on crafting supplies. First I sent a reply letter to Reannon:

Lastly I sent a letter to Verena in Germany.




As you can see I love getting and sending letters. I especially love pretty stationery and decorating the envelopes. I do get some funny looks from the post office staff sometimes but that's okay. I love wandering through craft stores and feeling inspired. I may continue with this theme for awhile as I went a bit overboard at the store. Oops.

#BoutofBooks Master Post

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

All my updates will be posted on this page and I will also be updating my twitter feed as well. Hope you all participate! BoutofBooks is one of my favorite events of the year!!

Also, I am officially an expert when it comes to #boutofbooks (thanks, ladies!) So if you have any questions about #boutofbooks please let me know!

Time Devoted to Reading

I will try to read each day for a minimum of an hour. The only day that could be problematic would be Saturday. I have to work that day followed by a visit to Gram's.

My Goals

• Read 4 books minimum
• Participate in at least 2 tweet chats
• Comment on 5 new to me blogs each day.
• Handwrite reviews as I go along.
• Read outside at least once.
• Finish up one box or sample of the many teas I have around the house.
  

Books to Read

 

• This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
• A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
• Shift by Charlotte Agell (DNF, wasn't really digging it).
• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle
• Need by Carrie Jones
• Bewitching by Alex Flinn
• Everyday by David Levithan
• Gone by Michael Grant
• If He Had Been With Me by Lauren Nowlan
• The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose

Updates

Monday
Number of books I've read today: 1/3 + 20 pages.
Total number of books I've read: 0
Books: Shift. Wasn't feeling it so gave up on it and read the first 20 pages of A Wrinkle In Time.

Tuesday
Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 0
Books: Still working on A Wrinkle In Time.

Wednesday
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Finished A Wrinkle In Time, started Bewitching.

Thursday
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 2
Books: Read Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn. So Good!
*I also switched to reading review books so I'd feel less guilt and seem to be having more success. This was a good call on my part*

Friday
Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 2
Books: I started reading Born of Illusion. Very good so far.

Saturday 
Number of books I've read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 2
Books: Still reading Born of Illusion. Snuck in some reading at work but was too tired by the time I got home to finish.

Sunday
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Monthly TBR #8 May 2013

Recap:
Books read during the month of April

Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Macbeth by Shakespeare
Hamlet by Shakespeare
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Haerm by Safia Fazlul
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Die For Her by Amy Plum
Call the Midwife: Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth
The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony
Love and Other Perishible Items by Laura Buzo
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Night School by CJ Daughtery

Total books read: 13. I'm really proud of this number. That's pretty much a book every other day. Not too shabby at all.

Bottom to top:
Two Rings by Millie Werber and Eve Keller
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (Thanks, Sarah)
Every Day by David Levithan (library book)
Gone by Michael Grant (library book)
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (book club pick)
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn
On The Way To The Wedding by Julia Quinn

Ebooks not pictured:
Reboot by Amy Tintera
You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
Double Click by Lisa Becker
The Lady In The Tower by Alison Weir (library book)

I also have 3 or 4 library holds that could come in this month as well. I will be busy this month.

What are you planning to read this month?

Sunday Update #15

Book Update: Yesterday was the Dewey's Readathon and somehow blogger has eaten my post. I started reading September Girls and found out very quickly that it was not for me. Women being talked about based on body parts even by teen male protagonists is something I just can't stomach. I did finish Night School and loved it.

Matt sent me some books for my birthday. He got me a couple books that were on my wishlist, Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan and The Cranford Chronicles by Elizabeth Gaskell. He also gave me The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony. I knew that he had read The Rendezvous and loved it but he enclosed a note saying that The Rendezvous had belonged to his late grandparents, that it was a first edition from the '60's and that all the notes and markings in it were done by his grandparents. It was such a moving gift that I nearly cried.

Blog Update: I have handwritten all the reviews and am going to try to spend the rest of this week getting caught up and trying to schedule some things in advance. Otherwise my blog will be very quiet if I get the promotion at work and when the library summer reading programs kick off. I will get on top of things.
I'm trying to get better at reading other blogger's posts and commenting in a timely fashion. I miss you guys and I'm sorry I've been such a neglectful blogger lately.

General update: The full-time decision will be made sometime this coming week as the lady who is retiring is working her final shift Friday. I have a second interview sometime this week as I am in the top three. I wish I could find out immediately. The waiting is triggering so much anxiety in me, I really hate it. I know that I can do my job, but sometimes I feel not as confident as I should. I'm still hopeful about the position and I will let you know as soon as a decision is made.

I got my schedule at the library for the next two months. June is going to be so busy as we are kicking off the children's and teens reading programs. I will have a few 13 hour days a week for the seven weeks that the reading programs run when I working both jobs. But thankfully I love both jobs and my co-workers, and kids reading makes me so happy. The library will be closed on Saturdays in July and August so at least I will get my weekends back.

I purged my bookshelves earlier this week. I went through books that I've read and unread. (Let's face it, if I get the full-time position, I will be buying more books and I have limited shelf space). I put a few of the books that I no longer wish to read or won't reread again on paperbackswap, and put some others in a bag for donation for the library book sale. I also pulled some books for my May TBR pile. That was quite a happy task, all things considered.


I was going to include an incoming/outgoing post this week to show off some of the pretty mail I've gotten and sent, but blogger hasn't been letting me upload photos. I'll try to upload them later in the week.

I hope you all have a great week!

Stuff and Things

Hi all,

I know things have been a little sporadic here on the blog lately but it's one of those times when life gets a bit busy and intense.

Overall I am doing well. I have been gunning for the full-time opening at job number one and it's been very stressful. My interview is on Tuesday and I'm really hoping that it goes well. As far as I can tell I'm almost certain that I will get the full-time slot. I really hope so. If you could all send happy thoughts that would be great.

I haven't done a huge amount of reading lately. I've caught up on handwriting reviews but haven't actually got a chance to get them scheduled on the blog. That is my goal for this week definitely.

I'm debating putting a new feature on the blog, probably with Sunday posts. I have a few pen pals and I get some really cool mail art that I'd like to show you guys, as well as some cool postcards. I'm going to try to be a bit more consistent with posting all the cool stuff that I get in the mail.

Send me all your organizing energy too. I need to get back into the habit of scheduling things.

I hope you all have a good week.

Jenn

Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Book: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Published by Egmont Press; Feb. 6, 2013
339 pages
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Historical fiction/YA/WWII
I got this book from the library.



Synopsis via Goodreads: I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.
That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.
He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.
We are a sensational team

Code Name Verity was a book that completely blew up on the blogs awhile back and I did what I normally do in that situation…avoid it. However, when it came into the library I was a little curious and finally read the synopsis and a couple pages to see what all the fuss was about. 

I checked it out as soon as it was processed for our collection. I had heard that it was an emotional read, but nothing could have prepared me for Code Name Verity other than a complete spoiler (which I won’t do here). 

I love historical fiction and WWII is one of my favorite topics. I felt that this was a completely fresh perspective and would love more books talking about women who were brave enough to take on jobs that put them at the frontlines. I loved this book so much that I suggested it to Matt and sent him a very emotional text as soon as I finished the last page. 

The pacing was great. I loved the chapters being told from the alternating perspectives of Verity and Kittyhawk. I thought that was absolutely genius, as was the slow reveal of information that you had to piece together. I also adored that the story was driven by a love between friends rather than romantic love. 

I think that Kittyhawk was my favorite character because I think her journey was one that I could relate to more because she was a bit more emotionally fragile. Code Name Verity left me wanting more books like this and also with a complete book hangover.