Long Time, Let's Play Catch-up: Books, Knitting, Revolutionary Road

So I know it's been a really really super long time. Haven't felt much like updating. But now I do, so here it goes.

I finished a lot of books since I last wrote. One of my favorites was one entitled The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall. It's about a mother and daughter who have escaped the Russian Revolution and have moved to a Russian-owned parcel of land in pre-revolutionary China. It does sound a little weird and far-fetched. I mean, why would I want to read a book about a Russian girl in pre-Communist China? It makes no sense. But it was suprisingly good. The writing was very fluid; I had a hard time putting it down. The characters were well-rounded and I felt emotionally invested in the main character, as well as the many side-plots that were going on around her. In the end they all tied together for a nice bang. So, this is definitely a book I would recommend.

I also just finished David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Great book! I absolutely love Dickens style of writing. I sometimes try to keep in mind that he got paid by the word, and there are certain characters, such as Mr. Micawber, that I think may have been written with a personality that lends itself well to exaggeration and long ranting. I was kind of expecting something more similar to Great Expectations, if only because Jane Austin's novels are so very similar to each other. But it took a completely different turn of events, and I ended up with tears in my eyes towards the end.

As far as knitting goes, I finally finished a humongous project of three baby blankets for my neighbor across the street. She had triplets instead of just one, and I had promised her I would make her a baby blanket when she had just found out she was pregnant. They are adorable! They're names are Anna Faith, Owen Sotir, and Eli John. I made each a different color: one pink, one light blue and one dark blue. It was my first time using a cable needle and trying to make something with a cable knit, so I was a little nervous at first. But the repetitive nature of the blankets made it so that eventually it came to be second nature, and after only a short while I didn't need to look at the pattern at all. They turned out absolutely beautifully and I am so proud of them. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of them before I gave them to her, but I do have the pic that I saw that made me decide to use this particular pattern. This is the blog that I discovered the knitting pattern at: http://thecakeplate.blogspot.com/2008/08/luca-cabled-baby-blanket.html

Lastly, I just have to say a few things about Revolutionary Road. I saw this movie two weeks ago, and I was sorry I hadn't seen it sooner. I know many people have told me that the critics didn't like it, but I have no idea why. The movie opens with drama and it ends with drama. It was like an Edward Albee play written without the major ridiculousness. It seemed to me so true to life, so genuine. I could relate to exactly what it was the characters were going through; the feeling of being trapped into what society dictates how life is supposed to be led. It tugged at my heartstrings and brought me along for a wonderful ride. Both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio gave outstanding performances, and I think everyone should watch this film.