(I’m calling this series of posts “Monday Reflections”, at least until I think of a better title)

Recently added to my stacks:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
“Sometimes, when you open the door to the past, what you confront is your destiny.

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author’s tale of gothic strangeness — featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.”

The Sheen on the Silk by Anne Perry.
(An ARC sent to me courtesy Marcia at The Printed Page.)
“Arriving in the ancient Byzantine city in the year 1273, Anna Zarides has only one mission: to prove the innocence of her twin brother, Justinian, who has been exiled to the desert for conspiring to kill Bessarion, a nobleman.

Disguising herself as a eunuch named Anastasius, Anna moves freely about in society, using her skills as a physician to manoeuver close to the key players involved in her brother’s fate. With her medical practice thriving, Anna crosses paths with Zoe Chrysaphes, a devious noblewoman with her own hidden agenda, and Giuiliano Dandolo, a ship’s captain conflicted not only by his mixed Venetian-Byzantine heritage but by his growing feelings for Anastasius.

Trying to clear her brother’s name, Anna learns more about Justinian’s life and reputation—including his peculiar ties to Bessarion’s beautiful widow and his possible role in a plot to overthrow the emperor. This leaves Anna with more questions than answer, and time is running out. For an even greater threat lies on the horizon: Another Crusade to capture the Holy Land is brewing, and leaders in Rome and Venice have set their sights on Constantinople for what is sure to be a brutal invasion. Anna’s discoveries draw her inextricably closer to the dangers of the emperor’s treacherous court—where it seems that no one is exactly who he or she appears to be.”

The Cavalier Poets: An Anthology by Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling, Richard Lovelace et al.
“Rich sampling of more than 120 works—characteristically charming, witty and graceful—by poets associated with the court of Charles I of England: Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling and Richard Lovelace. Includes such gems as Herrick’s ‘To the Virgins to Make Much of Time,’ Suckling’s ‘Why so pale and wan, fond lover?’ and many more. Reprinted from standard editions.”

Shadow & Claw: The First Half of ‘The Book of the New Sun’ by Gene Wolfe.
From the Amazon.com Review: “This is the first-person narrative of Severian, a lowly apprentice torturer blessed and cursed with a photographic memory, whose travels lead him through the marvels of far-future Urth, and who–as revealed near the beginning–eventually becomes his land’s sole ruler or Autarch. On the surface it’s a colorful story with all the classic ingredients: growing up, adventure, sex, betrayal, murder, exile, battle, monsters, and mysteries to be solved. (Only well into book 2 do we realize what saved Severian’s life in chapter 1.) For lovers of literary allusions, they are plenty here: a Dickensian cemetery scene, a torture-engine from Kafka, a wonderful library out of Borges, and familiar fables changed by eons of retelling. Wolfe evokes a chilly sense of time’s vastness, with an age-old, much-restored painting of a golden-visored “knight,” really an astronaut standing on the moon, and an ancient citadel of metal towers, actually grounded spacecraft. Even the sun is senile and dying, and so Urth needs a new sun.

What I’m Watching:
The Twelve Kingdoms Complete Collection
“Upon being confronted by a mysterious stranger, Youko is told of her destiny and pulled away into another world. Thus begins Youko’s perilous journey to the Kingdom of Kei on an epic road of espionage, terror, and betrayal. The mystic world of The Twelve Kingdoms assails her with one challenge after another. Will Youko embrace her destiny?”

What I’m Reading:
I haven’t read as much as I would have liked so far this year. I’m working to remedy that.

The Sheen on the Silk by Anne Perry.
(An ARC sent to me courtesy Marcia at The Printed Page. See plot summary above.)

The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers.
“This classic, with a new introduction by Madeleine L’Engle, is by turns an entrancing mediation on language; a piercing commentary on the nature of art and why so much of what we read, hear, and see falls short; and a brilliant examination of the fundamental tenets of Christianity. The Mind of the Maker will be relished by those already in love with Dorothy L. Sayers and those who have not yet met her.

A mystery writer, a witty and perceptive theologian, culture critic, and playwright, Dorothy Sayers sheds new,unexpected light on a specific set of statements made in the Christian creeds. She examines anew such ideas as the image of God, the Trinity, free will, and evil, and in these pages a wholly revitalized understanding of them emerges. The author finds the key in the parallels between the creation of God and the human creative process. She continually refers to each in a way that illuminates both.”

What I’m Writing:
I’m flitting between three or four projects right now, and trying to choose one to really focus on. I think the Searoyal novel is probably in the lead, if only because I’d developed the plot more before I began to really discover my process.

What I’m Revising:
Dogwood (working title)
Revisions are coming along, but more slowly now. I’m going through the manuscript and looking for promises I’ve made and failed to keep, and the process is a lot more difficult than the first time through for general revision notes. I’m getting a feel for what needs to be expanded and what needs to be removed. Read-through 2/pg. 15 out of 158.

Around the House:
The housework has been slipping a bit, but I’m getting back into it. I’m just trying to do a little each day and develop a routine that includes writing, reading and jewelry-making. I was doing better when I was focusing solely on the housework, and adding creative work into my schedule is disrupting things. But it’s past time for me to accomplish something in my life.

Cooking:
Working through Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child with a friend. I’ve been using the cookbook for awhile but now we’re going through it more systematically so we can both learn. Tonight we’re making poached red snapper with Sauce Béchamel in a sort of casserole. And unrelated to that, I’m also getting ready to learn to sprout grains and use them in cooking.

Spirituality:
“And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:41,42

I’m frequently anxious, and I’m going to make sure to put regular prayer time into my routine. I used to feel more content and peaceful when I was praying regularly. Praying for a few minutes each night before conking out is just not sufficient anymore.