Thursday, February 28, 2013

Whitney Finalists, Divine Instruction, and Venetian Nuns

My head's in a whirl. 

On the one hand, I'm having to pour through all the Whitney Finalists so that I can, at least, vote for the category I'm in...and, hopefully, vote for the Best Novel of the Year. I've completed Historical and just about finished General (I'm in the middle of the last book, Dancing on Broken Glass). I'll be moving on then to Romance and Mystery/Suspense for the rest of March. After Speculative, IF I have any time left over, I hope to read the Middle Grade category. I doubt very much that I'll get through YA General and Speculative in time. So far, I've been very impressed with The Rent Collector and My Loving Vigil Keeping (though it takes a while for both stories to really get going).

Just before the Finalists were announced, I had begun reading The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women From the Prophet Joseph Smith (with introductory essays by Sheri Dew and Virginia H. Pearce) because it was a gift from my new Visiting Teacher. It was better than I'd expected, but I'm afraid it's had to go on the back burner for now (except on Sundays when, and if, I can sneak some reading time in).

The book I miss most, however, was one I'd begun only a few weeks ago for research purposes. Winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, Virgins of Venice: Broken Vows and Cloistered Lives in the Renaissance Convent by Mary Laven had already proven eye-opening. Nothing really scandalous...yet. Just some surprises. I can't wait to get back to it.



In the meantime, the clock's ticking and I've got to get back to Dancing on Broken Glass. :D

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