first impressions

i've plowed through my book stack from the library...again!  i know i'm a lifetime learner and all, but what's gotten into me?  it's like an insatiable desire to educate myself deeply and broadly at the same time has hit me and there's no going back.

the last two novels:  "gutenberg's apprentice" by alix christie (which was historically written up and illustrated in donald jackson's book about the story of writing) and "first impressions" by charlie lovett.  this latter novel is also historical fiction, but about jane austen and her literary friendship with richard mansfield which the author weaves into a modern mystery, going back and forth between austen's time and present-day.

i never was a big austen fan (there is more to her than the pride and prejudice movie version of colin firth in a dripping white shirt, after all, but what!?) because of her run-on sentences. i've always preferred charlotte bronte's "jane eyre".  but i will hand it to her that she understood human nature (most likely from observation rather than direct encounter?)

both novels are new releases, which means they are non-renewable so in a sense i had to plow through them, but i would have willingly done so regardless and i highly recommend them.