Recently Read

I recently finished reading Emma by Jane Austen. It was a nice step away from YA and really old British literature, but still keeping to the themes I find most appealing: love. Teenage angst-y enough? Most definitely, and in a humorous way.



What made this so exciting to me was:

1. I have never read a Jane Austen book prior to this.
2. It was the first book from beginning to end that I read on my Kindle.

I chose Emma because it was a story I knew nothing about and I had not seen any of the movie adaptions created over the years, so I was completely unbiased. If you know nothing about Kindles (or e readers in general), public domain books are free. To me, especially being a broke college student, free is very enticing. So this opportunity to use my new Christmas gift was my opportunity, and excuse, to catch up on the many classics I've never read. And how is it that I've gotten away without ever reading Jane Austen? Well, I blame my public school upbringing, where I was hardly ever encouraged to read more than I had to and was very rarely introduced to the classics and their authors. And I'm not the biggest Gwyneth Paltrow fan, so seeing any of her movies interests me little.

What made me not want to put my book down was more to satisfy my own curiosity. From the very beginning, I made my assumptions as to what was going to happen, and each time I was introduced to a new character, I would make a guess as to what would happen to them as well. At times, the writing and speeches went on for more than I could have wanted, but aside from that, the story was entertaining. And I wanted to find out if I was right - I've been told I'm a good guesser.

So was I right? Absolutely. Everyone ended up with the people I said they were going to end up with. HA! Am I really that good of a guesser? Probably not. Austen was not secretive and there were definitely hints as to where the story was going. But it was a cute, fun story. It lacked thrills, which is what I love, but made up for it in the romance department.

As for reading on my Kindle, that's a whole other topic, but let me just say that I really heart my Kindle. I read so many books that it's nice to be able to save paper and trees, though I admit I will continue to buy hard copies of my favorite books. I wish there were real page numbers instead of location numbers, and flipping through a Kindle is not as easy as flipping through an actual book, but I still love it and am always being pleasantly surprised by its capabilities and its potential (I guess while I'm promoting the Kindle, I should provide a link).

For your entertainment, enjoy this cheesy trailer from a movie I still have no desire to watch (but probably will - right now).