Cranford

I  began reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell before I started Anna of Byzantium. I happen to also not be finished with it yet. This is the only Gaskell book that I have read, but I have liked both the miniseries based on her works. However, I prefer Jane Austen as an author.
Cranford is entertaining as is it about the lives of a bunch of old ladies in a small town in Enlgand, who are dealing with the modernization of the rural communities at that time (mid to late 19th century). Although it is comical (with the old ladies having some rather funny adventures dealing with everyday life in Cranford), it does have some sobering moments as there seems to be a death or some other form of drama every other chapter, one in particular having made me tear up.
The book's chapters are actually just short stories about life in Cranford told by an outsider who visits the main characters often. My next Gaskell shall be Wives and Daughters, as I have always wanted to read that particular novel.

Anna of Byzantium

Anna of Byzantium, by Tracy Barrett, is the book I am currently reading. Written in first person by the title character as an adult, it is about her life as a royal princess and the heir to her father, the emperor's, throne, at the time of the Christendom Crusades.

The book is well written and gives an interesting insight to royal life at the time it's set. I am not finished with the book yet, so there will be more about it, although I am already halfway through at present. Anna of Byzantium is not my usual book fare, however it is enjoyable, for a story that isn't kind to Anna. Life doesn't go as planned for Anna, and she doesn't take it well, stewing in anger and planning revenge on the people that ruined her life.

Introduction

   Hello, I have decided to start this blog because I needed a place to write down the things that I enjoy (or don't enjoy) about the books I read. I am going to start by listing the different genres of books I like to read for the benefit of the potential followers of this blog (if any). My favorites are mysteries: Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Georgette Heyer are my favorites, not necessarily in that order, among others. Actually, Sayer's happens to be my ultimate favorite for reasons I will explain in a later post.
   Another type of book I enjoy is fantasy. The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Inheritance Cycle are the top picks in that category, definitely in that order. I do every now and then venture into different types of series and other genres of books I wouldn't normally consider reading. I will perhaps go into those at later time, for now, though I shall focus solely on the book(s) I am reading at present.