Books read 2012

Black Sheep, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/ Steve)
Stealing the Elf-King’s Roses, Diane Duane (e)
The Reluctant Widow, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Friday’s Child, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Dragon Ship manuscript, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e)
Kim, Rudyard Kipling (e)
Regency Buck, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter (e)
Chimera, Rob Thurman (e)

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Today’s guest blogger, William Shakespeare, who offers for your delectation Portia’s speech on the quality of mercy, from The Merchant of Venice.

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there.

–William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

So how fast DO you read?

As previously advertised, I'm a slow reader.  How about you?

Source: Staples eReader Department

I read, it says here, 443 words per minute, 77% faster than the national average. If I could maintain that pace, and not let my attention get caught by Teh Shiny, I could read The Lord of the Rings in 18 hours.