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Chapter 1. Enter the new girl.
Mar. 21st, 2007 10:23 pmThis is your dorm room," said Matron. The newest pupil at Lady Jane's followed her into a large room, painted an off-white shade, and let out a little sigh of satisfaction. She was actually here! "I know the walls are blank, but you'll be able to put up a certain amount of photographs and knick-knacks. Only a certain amount, of course."
I've been online for coming on to ten years, and from chat room days to message boards and further on, from before 'to Google' became a verb and before national newspapers had online content, before everyone and their aunt had a blog, it's been aplace to discuss and read a lot of things, but not really my longsnding interest in what I'll term girls stories, the other books you're meant to have outgrown or think old-fashioned and a joke. I've rarely used the internet as a tool to find books or like-minded afficionados, perhaps because for me the place to find these books is in the plastic container box below the proper bookshelves of charity shops, or in a pile behind a pile in those maze-like shops that always smell of worrying damp. There's a way to while away a Saturday afternoon serendipitously in that.
However, over the years, I found out that the internet was, among other things, a Hobbies Club. And there are blogs about all sorts of things. I've always written reviews for myself and kept lists of the books that I've bought, although I still manage to buy doublers accidentally.
And back in January 2006, I read a girls' story called Katherine at Feather Ghyll and thought the name 'Feather Ghyll' was striking and unusual. A ghyll, as it turns out, is a narrow stream. There was never any discussion of the place-name in the book. Anyway, when one day, day dreaming, I was planning out what interests I would list for a livejournal about these books, I thought "And why not then?" So I did
She looked around, thinking, "Oh, I have such jolly plans."
"Like what?" an amused voice asked.
Startled, she spun around.
"W-was I talking out loud?"
"'Fraid so," her companion said, with a grin. "You really shouldn't if you don't want people to hear what you have to say. Tell me, what are these plans of yours?"
"Reviews mainly. Discussion, perhaps, of tropes, of characters, of good and bad shopping experiences. Links, as, when and if I come across them. Lists that Rosalie Dene would be proud of. I hope to keep them in good order too."
"Ah, Matron's been at you. I see."
I've been online for coming on to ten years, and from chat room days to message boards and further on, from before 'to Google' became a verb and before national newspapers had online content, before everyone and their aunt had a blog, it's been aplace to discuss and read a lot of things, but not really my longsnding interest in what I'll term girls stories, the other books you're meant to have outgrown or think old-fashioned and a joke. I've rarely used the internet as a tool to find books or like-minded afficionados, perhaps because for me the place to find these books is in the plastic container box below the proper bookshelves of charity shops, or in a pile behind a pile in those maze-like shops that always smell of worrying damp. There's a way to while away a Saturday afternoon serendipitously in that.
However, over the years, I found out that the internet was, among other things, a Hobbies Club. And there are blogs about all sorts of things. I've always written reviews for myself and kept lists of the books that I've bought, although I still manage to buy doublers accidentally.
And back in January 2006, I read a girls' story called Katherine at Feather Ghyll and thought the name 'Feather Ghyll' was striking and unusual. A ghyll, as it turns out, is a narrow stream. There was never any discussion of the place-name in the book. Anyway, when one day, day dreaming, I was planning out what interests I would list for a livejournal about these books, I thought "And why not then?" So I did
She looked around, thinking, "Oh, I have such jolly plans."
"Like what?" an amused voice asked.
Startled, she spun around.
"W-was I talking out loud?"
"'Fraid so," her companion said, with a grin. "You really shouldn't if you don't want people to hear what you have to say. Tell me, what are these plans of yours?"
"Reviews mainly. Discussion, perhaps, of tropes, of characters, of good and bad shopping experiences. Links, as, when and if I come across them. Lists that Rosalie Dene would be proud of. I hope to keep them in good order too."
"Ah, Matron's been at you. I see."
