I love books and I love reading. At home, I keep a book journal and have done so for over twenty years. I keep it simple and don’t follow a specific formula except for recording the book title, author and when I finished it. Below each entry, I write a short note about it – it might be a quote or two I really liked, a simple review or summary, what character I identified with and why or what I learned from it, whatever I feel prompted to write.

Since we each limited ourselves to a carry-on suitcase and a backpack, I decided not to bring my book journal with me and am going to make a blog post for each book I finish on the trip and then go back and make entries when I get home.

Before I left home, we made a list of literature books for Abe and Arlie to pick from to read for their school literature. The books are connected to our itinerary. I had been trying to decide what books I might read on the trip and was inspired to do the same for myself. I assumed I would have plenty of time to read starting with our time on the Queen Mary 2. That has not been the case.

On days we go on “field trips,” we’re often gone the whole day and either get home when it’s time to fix dinner, or stay out until after dinner time and then get home when it’s time to wind down for bed. I can’t read when there’s noise around me, so by the time everyone is quiet and in their rooms/beds, I usually get ready for bed myself, write in my journal and then turn the light out. On the days where we stay around our temporary home, I spend most of my time preparing meals, doing our school routine in the morning, and taking care of other planning or organizational tasks after that. We have quite time every afternoon where no one talks to each other and I spend that time meditating for fifteen minutes and then catching up on email, Marco Polo, writing a blog post, etc. After quiet time we’ll either go for a long walk, or head out on a short outing. As a result, I have been moving very slowly through books, but I’m thankful for them and the joy they bring.

For England, I decided on a light read – Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James. Scott gave it to me for Christmas year before last, but I had not read it yet, so I checked it out from the library for my kindle. I finished it one morning in Edinburgh (August 24th or 25th) when I woke up before everyone else (Thank God for my book-light.) James made a gutsy more and wrote Death Comes to Pemberly as a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I assume most Austen fans would love to know what happens to the beloved characters after the book is over and P.D. gave her take on that as well as weaves in a mystery involving most of them.

Of all the characters, she develops Mr. Darcy more than anyone else. In this book, we see more of the inner workings of his conscience and concerns not only for his family for but how his life affects the community he leads as well. I was disappointment how little time she spent writing about Elizabeth or from her perspective, but every book needs a main character and I guess she thought Lizzy had had her time in the spotlight. All in all, I think she did a pretty good job writing with a similar style and vocabulary to Austen, a tall order for sure, but I do not think she achieved the same plain as the literary great.

I have not read any other book by P.D. James so I don’t know if this book is typical for her writing or not. I was fascinated to know that in addition to her being a prolific and accomplished author, she was a Baroness and sat in the English House of Lords.