Day 1

Books left: 99
Current book: The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington, 268 pages.

From the back of the book: "Winner of the Pulitzer Prize when it was first published in 1918, The Magnificent Ambersons chronicles the changing fortunes of three generations of an American dynasty.  The protagonist...is George Amberson Minafer, the spoiled and arrogant grandson of the founder of the family's magnificence.  Eclipsed by a new breed of developers, financiers, and manufacturers, George descends from the Midwestern aristocracy to the working class.

I haven't had any time to read today, so I'm still only a couple chapters in, but I've got a lot of notes written down in my new Paperchase Book Journal, from Borders.
The first chapter describes the changing fashion and culture at the time, the late 1800s.  It makes me wish I lived about a hundred and fifty years ago, and also makes me wonder if people will say that about our time when they read "historical fiction" in the 2100s.  One humorous quote that I liked about the clothing fashions was about the invention of the "dude"-a "dandy" who wore his "trousers tight as stockings, dagger-pointed shoes, a spoon 'Derby' [hat], a single-breasted coat called a 'Chesterfield',...a heavy, puffed cravat or a tiny bow fit for a dolls braids."  He also describes men's & ladies' hair fashions, saying that it was a "hairier day".  There's a good quote that Tarkington uses when describing houses that "lack pretentiousness".  He says that "Whatever does not pretend at all has style enough".  I love this quote, and think that it means you should be true to your own style, and not try to be anyone else.  Because people will like you for who you are, and will not like the person you're trying to be.

I haven't quite finished chapter two, so I don't think I'll comment much on it yet, but so far it's describing George Amberson's childhood.  I must say, he reminds me a lot of Dudley Dursley.

Also, I tend to type in the style of whatever I'm reading at the time, so for the next few days or so, be prepared for some eloquent, turn-of-the-century-type writing.