First Glimpses of Spring

Winter is coming, a book I'm reading warns. But it seems winter did not come at all. When I leave work at 4.30pm, the sky is painted in tints of blue, damask and violet - only the faintest of hints of the coming night. A few rays of sunshine peek between the clouds. I should have bought sunglasses.

A familiar scene contrary to what we were told to expect. ''It will be another harsh winter filled with stormy weather and snow,'' the forecast read.

I look outside. The trees sway in the breeze, their leaves dancing like the skirt of a Hawaian dancer in greens and dirty browns. There is a lacking of white and frost and cold as characterized by last year's Big Freeze.

The fields are grassy green and drowsy flowers stand tip-toe purple in the mossy seas. Flowers with a predeliction to hibernate this early in the year yawn and shake their petals, still cloaked in rain drops.

We decide on a walk on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Spring rain drizzles from the sky as a gentle reminder that winter is no season to venture outside. We arm ourselves with umbrellas and determination. We struggle through the muddy roads and soldier on. A few stray hairs stick against our brow. 

Snowdrops wave as we pass them by. There is no need for gloves or scarves. The wind is fresh but not too cold and as we arrive back at our door, our cheeks are rosy from our excursion but agreeably so.

Spring is creeping closer. The robin told me so.

Book review: Arabella by Georgette Heyer

I just finished reading my first book of 2012 as per my New Year's Resolutions to up my daily dose of prose.

Last month, I finally read my first novel by Georgette Heyer (Sylvester) and although it took me a while to get into it, it ended up being a rather enjoyable read.

It inspired me to pick up my copy of Arabella and give it a go. I found it charming from the beginning as we were introduced to Arabella Tallant, who would go to London for her first season.

The heroine is described as very beautiful, which usually bores me as I prefer other virtues, but she is a well-rounded character as flawed as most of us. Mr. Beaumaris makes for a thrilling hero as the toast of Society, who wore a dandelion in his button hole for three days just to start a hype for laughs. I liked that the hero questioned the heroine's regard for him as they both suspected the other to be merely ''amusing themselves''.

Although I've never been much of a dog person I have to admit that Ullyses stole the show for me. Heyer created in him a pet with as much personality as our protagonists and I found his adoration for Mr. Beaumaris utterly delightful. On the other hand, I skipped the scenes with Jemmy, a climbing boy Arabella rescued from the evil clutches of a chimney sweeper.

The novel is filled with fun, multi-layered characters and have ensured that I will be reading my other Heyer books and purchasing more in the near future.

4/5 stars

New Year's Literary Resolutions 2012

Here we go again. Last year's resolutions weren't quite as successful as I would've liked.

Though I did finish my first book, entered a writing competition and got a bit more serious about my writing, I hardly wrote a word the last few months of the year.

Bad form, as Captain Hook would say.

So, now that I've moved house and got a bit more room (and an actual chair to sit on when scribbling typing away) I'm hoping to get back into my writing.

I will also do a bit more reading. I read maybe two or three books last year. Ouch. Now that I've been reunited with my to-read books (thanks to my aunt and uncle who brought them to England last month), I will compose a reading list for 2012.

Reading List 2012:

Jane Austen - Emma, Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility.
Georgette Heyer - Arabella, The Black Moth
Edith Wharton - The Age of Innocence
Gail Carriger - Changeless, Blameless, Heartless, Timeless
Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights
George RR Martin - A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons

If I manage to read all of the above books or even exceed my expectations, I will be a very happy camper.

I will also continue work on my own Jane Austen-style regency romance, my steampunk novel and write some poetry.