The fourth Poldark novel follows Ross's business exploits and his worsening relationship with his family. The last book, "Jeremy Poldark," left off with what appeared to be a reconciliation between Ross and his cousin Francis. However, through a mining accident and further interference from the Warleggan family, the peace is short-lived.

I read this series and started watching the tv show a year ago. While through enjoying the books readers can dive deeper into the inner thoughts of the characters, the 2015 tv adaptation by PBS exquisitely depicts the landscapes of Cornwall and the polished costumes of the 1700s. The first book, which I listened to as audiobook, completely drew me in and the character of Ross Poldark made me laugh. His quick-witted, intelligent comebacks stand out in the books and are my favorite aspect of his character. The amount of development that Winston Graham has put into creating this character astounds me every time I read a new book in the series. Ross is never what I expect, and even though he makes several of the same mistakes, he always manages to do something else unexpected. The addition of the unique scar on his face that he received from serving in the Revolutionary War is my favorite detail that Graham used in the series.

Truthfully I can't stand Francis, Elizabeth, George, and the other characters of high-society. I believe that they really don't care about Ross, and that they only look after themselves. There were times when Francis was in the right, like when he looked after Elizabeth when Ross had first returned home. Ross couldn't afford to take care of the girl he was still in love with, but Francis could. Also in this book, when Ross and Elizabeth were noticeably paying close attention to each other again, Francis comforted Demelza. Elizabeth is definitely not a villain herself, but she is timid and spineless. Compared to Demelza, Elizabeth likely appears even more subservient. However, I believe that she strings Ross along even after he is married and frankly she could have treated Demelza better. George is, what can I say, a cold-hearted and merciless character. In the first book I was reluctant to despise him too readily. However, now after all he's done, such as nearly getting Ross thrown in prison, leading Francis down a shady path during his marriage to Elizabeth, and recently insulting Demelza (not once but twice), he's just a bad egg. How he acted in this book was truly manipulative, and what he says and does to Demelza was just awful.

Yes Demelza Poldark is my favorite character, Verity following right behind her. Both girls are clever, loyal, and entertaining to read about. Now that they're close friends, even more so. Verity was the friend Ross had when no one else was willing to be one. She is unselfish and deserving in the happiness she receives. Demelza, on the other hand, speaks her mind more freely, but always with good intentions. She can be spiteful, but she is one of the youngest characters in the series so that's part of it. I admire most that she is a hard worker and never complains unless there's good reason to. Ross and her share some hot-tempered pride, but unlike Ross, she never looks for a fight. I believe that she wouldn't mind living a quiet life from now on. Plus, who couldn't like Demelza after reading about how faithful she is to her dog Garrick? It reminds me of the relationship I have with my dog Lulu.

For the most part I enjoyed "Warleggan," mainly because Ross and Demelza are finally looking to be rid of their money troubles. Crossing my fingers! Yet the mistakes they both make and the way they treat each other in this book disappointed me. I was glad with how the book ended, because I could clearly see that they would stay together and be a family.

"But it was so far away that the four peaks looked trifling, hardly distinguishable, and different from the way they looked from the farm. The outline of the mountain was slowly smoothed and leveled out by the hand of distance."

When I visited Susquehanna University and was a part of their writing program for the summer, I met one of the teachers who originally came from Africa. He read parts of his nonfiction stories that described what it was like to live in Africa and it made me think of this book. What I liked about being able to hold this book in my hands was that I could reread the most vivid lines of description.

Not only does the narrator tell about her time spent in Africa, but she illustrates all the unusual aspects of the landscape, peoples, and animals. Her sophisticated language and charming personality make each individual story in the book a pleasure to read. Her subtle comparisons between people all over the world and their styles of living become real once she introduces each character with their names and occupations. The narrator takes great care to keep an open mind when learning about the culture of the African people, and even finds that she can't bear to leave her new life behind.

My favorite short story that was told in the book was when Lulu the antelope came to live with the narrator. This amazing story of the bond between her and the antelope was entertaining to read, as it felt emotional and tangible. Overall I found the book to be filled with wanderlust and striking imagery. It was delightful to read a book that I could put down then pick up several times and still be interested in its plot.

"She could see in the underside of the glass tabletop a reflection of the impossible wonderland, a looking-glass simulacrum that could entice without either endangering or offering reward."

I enjoy reading fairytale and classic renditions of my favorite stories, including Alice in Wonderland. I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and it turned out to be nothing like I expected. I read "Wicked" by the same author and found his diction to be polished and intricate. Gregory Maguire comes up with the most fantastical, clever ideas for stories, yet the plots seem to be more complex than the original stories that they're based off of. I'd have to reread passages multiple times over just to make sure that I was following along with the story. With reading "After Alice," I found myself doing much of the same thing. However, I found "After Alice" to be more captivating than "Wicked."

As an ardent Wonderland fan, the numerous references included from Lewis Carroll's original "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" just made the book. Some of my favorite characters are in "Looking Glass," so when that story was referenced, it convinced me that the author really had done his homework. The White Queen, the Lion, Unicorn, and the Sheep that knits are characters that I love almost more so than the Mad Hatter and Alice herself. Not to diss the Disney adaptations of the Alice stories, but there were many details left out about Alice's adventures, especially when it came to the plot of "Looking Glass." Personally I find the Disney versions entertaining, but it was nice that "After Alice" wasn't a copy of the Disney films. This book stands out on its own.

Like "Wicked," the plot of this book gradually builds up to the climax. The story started off almost too slow for me to continue with it, but now I'm glad that I did. The court room scene in the last fifty pages was worth it. Let me just say, that wow, the addition of the jabberwocky was too cool. I've always found the Queen of Hearts annoying and a waste of time to be honest. I think that the Jabberwocky is the true villain in Wonderland. The dark poem about it is enough to freak anyone out (I had to memorize the poem for school at one point, which was amazing)! In "After Alice," when the White Rabbit says ominously "Beware the Jabberwock, my son!" the lines of the poem came rushing back into my head. It felt like Maguire was reminding the reader that we've been taught to imagine the Jabberwocky as a terrifying creature. Then he goes and defies expectations by making the Jabberwocky totally unexpected. How Ada used this transformation to her advantage and was able to make a break for it made me want to give her a pat on the back. Sure, Wonderland is quintessentially Alice's domain, but Ada seems to make her mark in this book.

Speaking of the character of Ada, she does remind me of Alice. In the first hundred pages she seemed like her twin. Till Ada fell down the rabbit hole, she was described as "underfoot and making of herself a nuisance." That's when everything changed in how I viewed her character. It was a welcome change to have someone visit Wonderland who wasn't mad or insanely curious. Ada's logical mind was a refreshing addition to the story. Ada has more spunk, like when she says "Alice is a flaming eejit." I think as readers we're so used to being guided through Wonderland by a curious and naïve airhead, so to have the question answered of what would happen if a rational person fell down the rabbit hole was an interesting take on the classic story.

A few other references I enjoyed: Lydia reading "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (my favorite Shakespeare play; as soon as Lydia dismissed the story, I found her to be a teenager filled with angst), Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby is my favorite book and Gatsby is one of my all-time favorite characters in literature), and Captain Jas. Hook (Peter Pan is my favorite play).

What I found to be the most fascinating aspect of "After Alice" was the point of view the story was told in. Instead of seeing Wonderland from the perspective of the legendary daydreamer, the reader follows Alice's journey in the background. The reader follows the journeys of each of the characters, in England and Wonderland. In Wonderland, the reader follows almost all of Alice's original experiences, while being exposed to new characters and locations with Ada. She's Alice's shadow, and the effect this had on the story is difficult to describe, but it's mesmerizing. After I finished this book, it left me with a similar feeling I had after reading "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" for the first time. I was sad to leave Wonderland and go back to reality, but overjoyed at the same time for having visited there.

The flowery language used in "Rip Van Wrinkle" reminded me of Thomas Hardy's writing style in "Far From the Madding Crowd." In "Far From the Madding Crowd," Hardy uses poetic, descriptive language to illustrate the settings and environs where Bathsheba and Gabriel live. In "Rip Van Wrinkle," Washington Irving evokes similar imagery to depict the landscape of colonial America. Particularly when the mountains make an appearance they have an ethereal quality about them. The concept of Rip Van Wrinkle falling asleep for two decades and having the Revolutionary War pass by reminds me of the plot of "The Story of Urashima Taro, the Fisher Lad," a classic Japanese fairytale. In that story a boy disappears for a longer period of time, but also through magical means. The adventure of Rip Van Wrinkle's was bewitching and peculiar.

There are three cartoons I'd always watch as a kid for Halloween: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," "Halloween is Grinch Night," and "The Legend of Sleep Hallow (1949 version)." As much as a cartoon can be, it follows the plotline of the story by Washington Irving. The Headless Horseman was a mysterious and spine-chilling character/creature. I would've never guessed his origin story though if I never read this book. The fact that he's also called the "Galloping Hessian" was a detail that made the character seem less otherworldly and more tangible. While I did find this story dramatic and filled with outdated language, I would recommend reading it during fall, especially in October during Halloween. That would make the experience truly spooky and hair-raising.

In Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual, David Swenson provides step-by-step illustrations for primary, intermediate, and advanced postures. The “Basics” section was a simple and clear introduction to the rest of the book’s content. I could appreciate how the author took the time to explain every step, term, and yoga pose. The chart that defined the eight aspects of yoga and little things such as explaining the meanings of the Sanskrit words made it easier to follow along with the instructions.

One of the added features I found surprising was the description of where the drishti would be in each posture. I don’t pay attention to my gazing point as much as I should. Sometimes not looking in a certain direction can mean the difference between a kink in my neck and no pain in a pose. Having the drishti assigned to each pose gave me a new focus and something to work on in the future.

Even though there were many photographs in the book that demonstrated different variations of the postures, it could have been even better to feature more of them. While the instructions were detailed, the photographs didn’t depict each step of entering into the postures. Some poses aren’t entered into as methodically as the others. The way I see it, the more pictures, the better the book can be.

In general, I found this book to be an informative and easy-to-read guide for all levels. The organization was consistent, and I liked how the same amount of instruction was provided for each posture. I tried following the “Short Forms” section and I found the sequences to be familiar, yet challenging.

"The Science of Yoga" by William J. Broad details the health benefits and risks, creative advantages, and history of yoga. Broad references a variety of yoga postures in the book, but for the ones he mentions more than once, there is a picture to go with the description. I think that these pictures would have been most helpful to a beginner who is unfamiliar with the posture names. Since I’m a visual learner, in my first year of practicing yoga I paid close attention to instructors demonstrating the poses. Sometimes just hearing an instructor explain a pose wasn’t enough for me, so I like that this book provided options for readers.

The snippets of yoga history that were included in each of the book’s seven sections were fascinating. Before reading this book, I read "The Goddess Pose" by Michelle Goldberg, which was about the life of Indra Devi. Now I find her to be the most interesting yogini to learn about, especially with how she’s impacted Western culture and yoga for women in general. I believe that Indra Devi is an excellent example of a yoga student whose equal parts confident and respectful. She wasn’t afraid to study advanced postures, but she realized that she would need teachers to support her.

In the “Muse” section of the book, Broad explained the relationship between yoga and creativity. This section was more beneficial to me above everything else, as I could easily understand the argument and evidence the author was presenting. As a writer, I’ve found that yoga has benefited my creative process. Meditation helps to relax, or at least steady my thoughts when I’m in the middle of editing or researching a story. An important point that Broad includes about this is that yoga, while being beneficial to some writers, can’t make anybody talented overnight. This section was fantastic to read, as I felt that it summed up my personal experience with yoga, and how my writing was impacted through my practice.

Overall I thought the book was equal parts useful and meticulously researched. In some places, I wouldn’t have minded if the statistics and anecdotes would have been shorter. The author got his point across early on in each chapter, so sometimes the sections felt prolonged. I’m not sure if I agree with Broad’s description of Savasana being the “easiest of yoga’s positions.” For me, it’s always been the most difficult posture. I enjoy dynamic movement in my yoga practice, so suddenly to cease all activity feels uncomfortable to me. Additionally, the couple ideas expressed in the book about the future of yoga therapy and government funding for yoga research were thought-provoking to me. I had never thought about yoga being the future of healthcare, but now it seems like a change that could benefit the world in a positive way.