Jane Eyre, Booklist

Jane Eyre. Oh my. The most romantic book ever written. Definitely. If you have a more romantic book, let me know. Not only romantic, but very moral, right, good, full of truth. I felt like I needed to mark it up like my scriptures. So a few quotes from the book.
"No sooner did I see that his attention was riveted on them, and that I might gaze without being observed, than my eyes were drawn involuntarily to his face: I could not keep their lids under control; they would rise, and the irids would fix on him. I looked, and had an acute pleasure in looking--a precious yet poignant pleasure; pure gold, with a steely point of agony: a pleasure like what the thirst- perishing man might feel who knows the well to which he has crept is poisoned, yet stoops and drinks divine draughts nevertheless.
Most true is it that "beauty is in the eye of the gazer". My master's colorless, olive face, square, massive brow, broad and jetty eyebrows, deep eyes, strong features, firm grim mouth --all energy, decision, will--were not beautiful, according to rule: but they were more than beautiful to me; they were full of an interest, and influence that quite mastered me--that took my feelings from my own power and fettered them in his. I had not intended to love him--the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected--and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me."
-Jane Eyre
There is an amazing quote by the man, Mr. Rochester in the novel, but of course I can't find it. Then one more quote from the book about temptation. "I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad--as I am now. laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour: stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. " Jane Eyre
Truly as masterpiece. PBS just aired a new version of Jane Eyre. We dvr'd it and the past two nights, Darin and I have watched it. We probably have two more nights left. We are both loving it. So far it is very true to the book. Anyway, a must read at some point in your life. I know everyone wanted my book club list for the year and I never gave it so here it is.

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (yes, they are sisters)
3. Tisha by Robert Specht
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (much better read aloud, Darin and I have read this together, aloud, twice, a book on CD would be a good option, I'm sure your library would have it)
   
5. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley (hoping this will influence some of my liberal friends)
6. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
7. All Moms Go to Heaven by Dean Hughes (short, hilarious, I heard him speak at Time Out For Women on this book, I laughed so hard I almost cryed)
   
8. Red Tent by Nita Diamant
9. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
10. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca by du Maurier was so creepy, I'm excited for this one, ooooo, and it's in October, perfect month for it)
    
11. Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (very excited for this one, tragic, dramatic, Russia, revolution, forbidden love)
12. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (one of my all time favorite authors, easier to read than you would think, and A Christmas Carol is very short, less than 100 pages)
    

All of these books came highly recommended or was researched, so I am confident that most will be very good.
The girls are very good. Disappointed however because school was indeed held. We were holding our breath for a cancellation, but of course it didn't happen. It has been snowing here like it rains in Oregon. A constant flow of very small snowflakes, like a drizzle of rain I suppose. The first real winter we've had since I moved to Idaho. School for me starts Monday. Entirely depressing. I try to be grateful. And I am. But is depresses me so. My drug of choice last semester was food. I don't want to do that this time. I went back to WW. Another very depressing subject. So I need another safe drug to replace the food. Any ideas? More prozac? A combination of antidepressants? Caffeine? So few choices. So sad. Love you all. Signing off until next time.