Currently reading
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
Fingersmith
Roadside Picnic
Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement (Pivotal Moments in American History)
London Falling
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
I've tried to read Alice in Wonderland 5-6 times before, and bogged down every time at the scene in the little house, with the lizard. This time I was determined to power through and finish, since this book has been in my list of “influential things I must read,” for years. (Yes, I sometimes push myself to read things that I wouldn't otherwise, if they have been Very Important in some very important way.)Alice is eccentric, nonsensical and whimsical. I suspect you must be in a particular mood to really enjoy it, since it's a bit like listening to 7 year old children talking random silliness. I wonder if this is how people will regard Dr. Seuss in 100 years – as brilliant nonsense? (I hope so, I adore Dr. Seuss.) Because Alice is absolutely a tale for curious children. One of the more delightful things about Alice is that she is a little girl who says “yes” to adventure. I'm glad I finally made it through the story, I can definitely see its influence on children's literature. The illustrations by Tenniel were just beautiful. If for no other reason, this book is Very Important because of the art that has come out of it, including film art. Fantastic stuff.