Really, there has been no excuse for my slacking off on the reading front. I apologize.
The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri. This is a debut novel. The author writes like it is his 100th. The writing is exquisite. Vishnu (yes, also the name of a Hindu god) is a handy man for a three story apartment building in exchange for work, he is allow to live on one of the landings. The story begins with Vishnu lying on his landing; he is dying. As he lies there, he begins to reflect on his life and even thinks that he is, in fact, the god Vishnu. Around him, the inhabitants of the apartment building are living their lives. The two housewives on the first floor are constantly at war over their shared kitchen. The families on the second floor must deal with their teenagers, who have eloped. the problem is that one family is Hindu and the other Muslim; the families are not okay with a friendship, let alone a love affair. To add to the Muslim family's distress, the father is going through a religious awakening. On the top floor, a lonely widower is still grieving over the loss of his beloved wife. The floors of the apartment building seem to mimic the spiritual journey Vishnu is taking as he dies: from earthly dramas to spiritual enlightenment. It was a beautifully written novel and an interesting study on some aspects of Hinduism about which I knew nothing.
Reflected in You by Sylvia Day. The second in the Crossfire series. Just as good as the first book, better story than Fifty Shades. All I will say is that Gideon and Eva are some MESSED UP people. I wouldn't put up with his crap, not for all of his money. Possessive, almost irreparably damaged. He's more than most women could handle. I guess that makes Eva a good match for him- she's equally as damaged. At least there is some reasoning behind the way he treats her- everything he does is to protect her. Sadly though, almost everything he does seems to hurt her too. Before you ask, yes, there is a lot of sex in the book. But it's not messed up sex- no Red Room or anything too kinky like that.
The Zahir by Paulo Coehlo. This author can do no wrong, as far as I am concerned. There is nothing he has written that I haven't loved. This book was no exception. The narrator (who seems remarkably similar to the author himself) is a famous writer who lives in Paris with Esther, his war-correspondent wife of ten years. One day, she disappears. Was she kidnapped? Did she leave him for another man? Or did she simply leave him? The narrator is left with no answers. He tries to move on with his life- he finds a new girlfriend and eventually writes a book about Esther, his zahir, the one who occupies his every waking thought. Then Mikhail (the man his wife may or may not have left him for) shows up at a book signing to tell him that Esther is alive and well. Thus, a quest to find his lost love begins. However, in searching for her, he really finds himself. I know that sounds so cliche. And in another author's hands, it would have been. But Coelho writes with such insight, such beauty, you feel like it's the first time you've ever heard a certain idea.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. Damn you, Gillian Flynn. You did it again! Didn't have a clue as to what was coming next! First and foremost, she really is a great writer. I mean, where else are you going to read this sentence, "Kenny made a shruggy noise and left" and actually hear that exact noise in your head. You know the noise I mean. I had never thought of how to describe that noise. But that's it- it's a verbal shrug! Back to the story though. Libby is 32 years old. At age 7, she was the lone survivor when her brother massacred her mother and sisters. Her testimony sent him to jail and left her alone in the world. Twenty five years later, she is approached by a Kill Club, kind of like a murdery ComiCon. These strangers question her testimony against her brother. After all, she was completely hidden while the murders were taking place. But Libby sets off to prove that she was right. Or was she? She begins to remember (and learn) things from that night, things that have her question everything she believed. Great story!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Scary movies- I blame Halloween for my TiVo treating me so eerily
Because of the fact that I live alone, I don't tend to watch too many scary movies. Unless it's one I've seen before and don't truly find "scary." Like any of the Scream movies. Don't get me wrong- there are some scary moments, but because I expect them, it doesn't freak me out. I love scary movies though. Which has certainly posed a dilemma leading up to (and post) Halloween. See, every station was showing scary movies almost all last month. And my TiVo loves to surprise me with shows and movies it thinks I might like. As an aside, is it sad that I refer to Siri as a she, but TiVo (who has been with me for years) is merely an it? I should name it. Or at least refer to it as a he. Anyway, back to the blog. TiVo hit me up with some great scary movies- Poltergeist, The Ring, Last House on the Left, Final Destination. Good stuff. Last night, I watched Scream 2. Today, I've watched Last House on the Left and The Ring. Last House was a little more brutal than scary. The Ring, on the other hand, very scary. But I've noticed something about myself. The more scared I am, the more I talk to the TV. Like during The Ring, Naomi Watts was on the ferry and tried talking to a horse. The horse started freaking out. She continued to try to pet the horse and calm the horse. I was screaming at the TV, "Get the hell away from the horse! Are you stupid? If an animal seems scared of you, go away." And then when her son watched the tape, I was like "Who leaves a tape like that lying around for their child to find? And what kid just grabs a random video? Oh, I know, a creepy ass kid like that one." I'm thinking, maybe no more scary movies for me for a while....
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
October- disappointing on the book reading front at least
For some reason, this month was really slow going. I blame the last book- it took me forever to get through!
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I'd always heard about this book as such a great work of American literature. It definitely was a good book. But I still had some difficulty with it. When reading the author's own words, I found her to be a hauntingly beautiful writer. I mean, right out the gate, she had me. But then the characters would speak. And I have always had a problem with reading dialects. Janie is a beautiful light skinned black woman who lives in northern Florida during the early 1900's. Her grandmother marries her off at 16 to save her from herself (she'd seen Janie kissing a neighborhood boy). Janie thinks that marriage equals true love. She didn't find that with her husband. So, when silver-tongued Joe enters the picture, she leaves with him. Joe quickly establishes himself as the first mayor of the first all-black town of Eatonville, Florida. Janie realizes that she loves him far more than he loves her; to him, she is a trophy wife. When he finally passes away, she falls hard and fast for Tea Cake, a man MUCH younger than her. Their marriage, although tempestuous and filled with jealousy, finally provides her with the love she always pictured. She eventually returns to Eatonville and is faced with the gossip surrounding her relationship with Tea Cake. She proceeds to tell her story to her friend, so as to silence the gossips. I'm not going to lie, I had a hard time following some of the story (at least when it was predominately told through dialect). But when it wasn't?! Amazing. Hurston was a preeminent author during the Harlem Renaissance and I can definitely see why. Oddly enough, one of my favorite lines came near the end of the book and was said by Janie (and therefore in dialect). "Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves." Pretty deep thoughts there.
Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson. I read about this book in another book (the author read it in a book club) and decided to read it myself. I love my book club, but I sincerely doubt we would ever read something like this! The narrator of the book is nameless. You feel like you get clues about gender, but then a few pages later, there are clues that point to the other gender. Narrator is in love with Louise, a married woman who leaves her husband so they can be together. Narrator discusses some of the prior relationships Narrator has been involved in (men, women, single, married). But this love with Louise is all-consuming. Narrator eventually leaves Louise for Louise's own good, or so Narrator thinks. It's an interesting novel about love and passion, about looking at a relationship for what makes it rather than the people who are in it. It's very color/gender blind. It's about knowing another person so completely that they become a part of you. It's probably not a novel for everyone, but it was really good and a very easy read.
Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov. Another classic that I had never gotten around to reading. I've seen the movie, but that didn't nearly do the book justice. In fact, it was almost nothing like the book! Makes me wonder if the recent(ish) remake does a better job of staying faithful to the book. Anyway, Humbert Humbert is quite the pervert, as far as I am concerned. The fact that Delores Haze (aka Lolita) isn't the first young girl with whom he has become obsessed in more than a little disturbing. As is their eventual relationship. The movie merely implies a sexual relationship, candy-coating his obsession. The book is explicit. They are lovers. Period. She is 12. Disgusting. It was not my favorite book that I've ever read. Far from it. In fact, I had rather a hard time finishing it. But at least I can now say I've read it.....
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I'd always heard about this book as such a great work of American literature. It definitely was a good book. But I still had some difficulty with it. When reading the author's own words, I found her to be a hauntingly beautiful writer. I mean, right out the gate, she had me. But then the characters would speak. And I have always had a problem with reading dialects. Janie is a beautiful light skinned black woman who lives in northern Florida during the early 1900's. Her grandmother marries her off at 16 to save her from herself (she'd seen Janie kissing a neighborhood boy). Janie thinks that marriage equals true love. She didn't find that with her husband. So, when silver-tongued Joe enters the picture, she leaves with him. Joe quickly establishes himself as the first mayor of the first all-black town of Eatonville, Florida. Janie realizes that she loves him far more than he loves her; to him, she is a trophy wife. When he finally passes away, she falls hard and fast for Tea Cake, a man MUCH younger than her. Their marriage, although tempestuous and filled with jealousy, finally provides her with the love she always pictured. She eventually returns to Eatonville and is faced with the gossip surrounding her relationship with Tea Cake. She proceeds to tell her story to her friend, so as to silence the gossips. I'm not going to lie, I had a hard time following some of the story (at least when it was predominately told through dialect). But when it wasn't?! Amazing. Hurston was a preeminent author during the Harlem Renaissance and I can definitely see why. Oddly enough, one of my favorite lines came near the end of the book and was said by Janie (and therefore in dialect). "Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves." Pretty deep thoughts there.
Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson. I read about this book in another book (the author read it in a book club) and decided to read it myself. I love my book club, but I sincerely doubt we would ever read something like this! The narrator of the book is nameless. You feel like you get clues about gender, but then a few pages later, there are clues that point to the other gender. Narrator is in love with Louise, a married woman who leaves her husband so they can be together. Narrator discusses some of the prior relationships Narrator has been involved in (men, women, single, married). But this love with Louise is all-consuming. Narrator eventually leaves Louise for Louise's own good, or so Narrator thinks. It's an interesting novel about love and passion, about looking at a relationship for what makes it rather than the people who are in it. It's very color/gender blind. It's about knowing another person so completely that they become a part of you. It's probably not a novel for everyone, but it was really good and a very easy read.
Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov. Another classic that I had never gotten around to reading. I've seen the movie, but that didn't nearly do the book justice. In fact, it was almost nothing like the book! Makes me wonder if the recent(ish) remake does a better job of staying faithful to the book. Anyway, Humbert Humbert is quite the pervert, as far as I am concerned. The fact that Delores Haze (aka Lolita) isn't the first young girl with whom he has become obsessed in more than a little disturbing. As is their eventual relationship. The movie merely implies a sexual relationship, candy-coating his obsession. The book is explicit. They are lovers. Period. She is 12. Disgusting. It was not my favorite book that I've ever read. Far from it. In fact, I had rather a hard time finishing it. But at least I can now say I've read it.....
Monday, October 1, 2012
Kicking off fall with some good reading
I definitely didn't beat my record or anything, but I got some good reading done in September. And a wide range!
Starters by Lissa Price. America has been devastated by something called the Spore Wars. An entire generation has been wiped out of existence. Left are the Enders (the old people) and the Starters (the young people). They were the ones considered the most vulnerable, so they were the ones given the vaccine. Sixteen year old Callie and her seven year old brother Tyler have been on their own for three years. When Callie hears of a way to make money, she jumps at it. She agrees to rent out her body to an Ender, so that Ender can experience youth again. Something goes wrong with Callie's final renting. And she is suddenly able to hear the Ender who had rented her. Helena is on a mission. And Callie must decide whether this mission is worth risking her own life. It's a pretty cool story. One of the write-ups compared it to Hunger Games. Sure- because it's post-apocalyptic and the government is crazy (and willing to sacrifice the lives of children). But other than that, not even remotely similar! Another book in the series is coming out soon, so that should be exciting!
Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian. It's a beautiful July morning in Vermont. As Alice Hayward emerges from the lake where she has just been baptized, she looks at her minister and says "there." A few hours later, Rev. Stephen Drew remembers that word when he learns that Alice's abusive husband has strangled her and shot himself, leaving their 15 year old daughter an orphan. Heather Laurent, a popular author of books about angels, enters the scene. She can sympathize with the daughter, as her father did the same thing to her mother years earlier. But suspicions begin to arise in this small town when Stephen leaves the church. What secrets did he know about Alice and her husband? This is the second book I have read by Bohjalian and his writing style quickly pulls the reader into the story. He is also quite the master of the "holy crap, where did THAT ending come from?!" Two very enthusiastic thumbs up! And a nice break from my fairy tales and historical fiction- nothing says a break like a nice murder story....
My Favorite Fangs by Alan Goldsher. One of the funniest books I have read in a very long time! It was completely tongue in cheek and witty. Maria is a sex-crazed vampire. The abbey is full of zombies. The Baroness is a succubus. And the Nazis want to rid Europe of the undead. Several times, someone will quote a line from the musical that is completely grammatically incorrect. And they let you know that they said it that way because Hammerstein wrote it that way! Or a character will say a line that is clearly from a different musical and someone out of the scene will say, "wrong musical, whore." Unlike the P&P&Z books, this book isn't even remotely trying to take itself seriously. And that is part of the charm!
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. This was her debut novel. Gone Girl was a pretty crazy book. So was this one. Camille, a reporter for a paper in Chicago, is sent to her hometown by her editor to cover the murder of two young girls. There was a nine month lull in murders, so are they even connected? Once the second girl's body is found, it becomes clear that a serial killer is on the loose. Camille has her own family related demons. I 100% thought I had the killer figured out with about 100 pages left. I was so close. But Flynn managed to pull one over on me again. Just like last book. Well played, Gillian. Well played. Next book of yours, I promise, I will actually be right about the killer!
Bared to You by Sylvia Day. Basically Fifty Shades, only without the Red Room of Terror. And with a woman who is equally as damaged as the billionaire who is obsessed with her. Eva comes to NYC to start a job at an ad agency. She has money of her own and her step-father is a wealthy man. But she wants to make something of herself. Then she meets the owner of her building (and her sort of boss) Gideon Cross. The attraction can't be denied. Yep- that's all I'm going to say about this book. I actually liked it even more than Fifty Shades.
A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay. Amazing!! This is the woman who wrote Sarah's Key, one of the most touching novels I have ever read. This book is completely different than Sarah's Key, but just as amazing. Antoine decides to surprise his sister Melanie with a trip for her 40th birthday. He takes her back to the little sea village where they used to spend summers as children. The last time they went was the summer before their mother died of a brain aneurysm. The trip brings back memories, including one that is so shocking to Melanie when she remembers it that she wrecks the car on the return trip! Antoine finally learns the truth about his mother and her death. Tatiana de Rosnay is a beautiful writer and I loved this book!
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. This was my book club book. Afghanistan has never really been known for their women wearing revealing clothes and having lots of freedom. But apparently, they did used to have some freedom. They could go to school and have jobs. To be honest, I feel like I was blissfully naive about the real Afghanistan. In the late 1990's, Kamila has just graduated with her teaching degree. She is living with her family in Khair Khana, a suburb of Kabul. Then the Taliban stages a coup to take power again. Their lives are quickly turned upside down. Women can no longer be outside the home. They can't have jobs. They can't leave the house without wearing a chadri, the full coverage burka. Refusal to comply will result in severe beatings. Kamila and her sisters eventually start their own business of dressmaking. She goes on to start a school for women and even to work with the UN. Considering she is only a few years older than me, she's more than a little bit amazing. And fortunately for her, 9/11 happened and America stepped in to help things in Afghanistan go back to normal. Really amazing story!
Starters by Lissa Price. America has been devastated by something called the Spore Wars. An entire generation has been wiped out of existence. Left are the Enders (the old people) and the Starters (the young people). They were the ones considered the most vulnerable, so they were the ones given the vaccine. Sixteen year old Callie and her seven year old brother Tyler have been on their own for three years. When Callie hears of a way to make money, she jumps at it. She agrees to rent out her body to an Ender, so that Ender can experience youth again. Something goes wrong with Callie's final renting. And she is suddenly able to hear the Ender who had rented her. Helena is on a mission. And Callie must decide whether this mission is worth risking her own life. It's a pretty cool story. One of the write-ups compared it to Hunger Games. Sure- because it's post-apocalyptic and the government is crazy (and willing to sacrifice the lives of children). But other than that, not even remotely similar! Another book in the series is coming out soon, so that should be exciting!
Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian. It's a beautiful July morning in Vermont. As Alice Hayward emerges from the lake where she has just been baptized, she looks at her minister and says "there." A few hours later, Rev. Stephen Drew remembers that word when he learns that Alice's abusive husband has strangled her and shot himself, leaving their 15 year old daughter an orphan. Heather Laurent, a popular author of books about angels, enters the scene. She can sympathize with the daughter, as her father did the same thing to her mother years earlier. But suspicions begin to arise in this small town when Stephen leaves the church. What secrets did he know about Alice and her husband? This is the second book I have read by Bohjalian and his writing style quickly pulls the reader into the story. He is also quite the master of the "holy crap, where did THAT ending come from?!" Two very enthusiastic thumbs up! And a nice break from my fairy tales and historical fiction- nothing says a break like a nice murder story....
My Favorite Fangs by Alan Goldsher. One of the funniest books I have read in a very long time! It was completely tongue in cheek and witty. Maria is a sex-crazed vampire. The abbey is full of zombies. The Baroness is a succubus. And the Nazis want to rid Europe of the undead. Several times, someone will quote a line from the musical that is completely grammatically incorrect. And they let you know that they said it that way because Hammerstein wrote it that way! Or a character will say a line that is clearly from a different musical and someone out of the scene will say, "wrong musical, whore." Unlike the P&P&Z books, this book isn't even remotely trying to take itself seriously. And that is part of the charm!
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. This was her debut novel. Gone Girl was a pretty crazy book. So was this one. Camille, a reporter for a paper in Chicago, is sent to her hometown by her editor to cover the murder of two young girls. There was a nine month lull in murders, so are they even connected? Once the second girl's body is found, it becomes clear that a serial killer is on the loose. Camille has her own family related demons. I 100% thought I had the killer figured out with about 100 pages left. I was so close. But Flynn managed to pull one over on me again. Just like last book. Well played, Gillian. Well played. Next book of yours, I promise, I will actually be right about the killer!
Bared to You by Sylvia Day. Basically Fifty Shades, only without the Red Room of Terror. And with a woman who is equally as damaged as the billionaire who is obsessed with her. Eva comes to NYC to start a job at an ad agency. She has money of her own and her step-father is a wealthy man. But she wants to make something of herself. Then she meets the owner of her building (and her sort of boss) Gideon Cross. The attraction can't be denied. Yep- that's all I'm going to say about this book. I actually liked it even more than Fifty Shades.
A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay. Amazing!! This is the woman who wrote Sarah's Key, one of the most touching novels I have ever read. This book is completely different than Sarah's Key, but just as amazing. Antoine decides to surprise his sister Melanie with a trip for her 40th birthday. He takes her back to the little sea village where they used to spend summers as children. The last time they went was the summer before their mother died of a brain aneurysm. The trip brings back memories, including one that is so shocking to Melanie when she remembers it that she wrecks the car on the return trip! Antoine finally learns the truth about his mother and her death. Tatiana de Rosnay is a beautiful writer and I loved this book!
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. This was my book club book. Afghanistan has never really been known for their women wearing revealing clothes and having lots of freedom. But apparently, they did used to have some freedom. They could go to school and have jobs. To be honest, I feel like I was blissfully naive about the real Afghanistan. In the late 1990's, Kamila has just graduated with her teaching degree. She is living with her family in Khair Khana, a suburb of Kabul. Then the Taliban stages a coup to take power again. Their lives are quickly turned upside down. Women can no longer be outside the home. They can't have jobs. They can't leave the house without wearing a chadri, the full coverage burka. Refusal to comply will result in severe beatings. Kamila and her sisters eventually start their own business of dressmaking. She goes on to start a school for women and even to work with the UN. Considering she is only a few years older than me, she's more than a little bit amazing. And fortunately for her, 9/11 happened and America stepped in to help things in Afghanistan go back to normal. Really amazing story!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Pool time made August a pretty good reading month!
A solid 8 books this month- ranging from reworked fairy tales to scientifical biographies. Pretty good month!
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Yes, Kurt Hummel wrote a book, y'all! And it was REALLY good. As my faithful readers probably know, I love a re-worked fairy tale. In this one, Alex and her twin bother Connor fall into a fairy tale book that their grandmother gave them. Did you know that Goldilocks was a wanted fugitive? Or Red Riding Hood was a tad bit narcissistic? Or that the Princes Charming were all brothers? Or that the Evil Queen really was a kind of sad figure? Despite their love of fairy tales, the twins didn't know these things either! The book was fantastic- I read it in 2 days (and it's over 400 pages). According to Kurt, er um I mean Chris, he plans on writing more stories. I CAN'T WAIT!!
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me and My Week with Marilyn by Colin Clark. These two books together sort of made up the movie My Week with Marilyn. The first book is Colin's diary that he kept during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl. In it, he discusses the difficulties Sir Laurence Olivier had on set with Marilyn. Oddly, it doesn't seem that all of it was entirely Marilyn's fault. She had just married Arthur Miller, her third husband. While she was most definitely a movie star (the camera loved her), she was also most definitely not an actress. Olivier (who was married to Vivien Leigh) understood actors. He did not understand this strange new bred of creature in front of him. The woman who somehow managed to stumble onto moments of brilliance, then flee from the set in utter confusion and forgetfulness. The second book was a much more detailed account of the one week that Colin spent as Marilyn's special confidante. Even though both books were combined into the same publication and the second book was first, I decided to read them chronologically. Which meant reading half of the first book, switching over to read the second in its entirety, then back to finish the first. A little confused perhaps, but certainly made the story flow! I had just seen the movie (Michelle Williams was completely captivating). And the book was just as amazing. You kind of feel bad for Marilyn. All she wants is someone to love her and all she got were people who pandered to her and drugged her (just like Elvis). Even her husband viewed her as a plaything- he got to be the man to bed the famous Marilyn Monroe after all! Her story seems to be everywhere lately. The TV show, Smash. The most recent People magazine. There is just a fascination about her that will never die. She won't let it!
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This month's book club book. I can't really write a full review or I will RUIN the book. Nick and Amy are about to celebrate their five year anniversary. They are both writers who were fired from their jobs in NYC and have moved back to Nick's hometown on the banks of the Mississippi. Nick is small-town Missouri, Amy is the subject of a beloved children's book and an heiress. By the time they move back to Missouri, they have lost everything. The day of their anniversary, Amy goes missing. And all signs point to Nick as the killer. Is he? Amy seems a sympathetic character. But oddly, so does Nick. The twists that keep coming in this book, holy crap! I think I sat with my mouth open in shock for about a minute when I finished. This has got to be one of the craziest books I've read in a long time. I absolutely loved it. And can't wait to discuss with book club!!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith. Last month, I read the prequel, this month the sequel. Elizabeth and Darcy are now happily married, but not necessarily content. As a married woman, Elizabeth can't be seen in public with weapons, despite her skill as a warrior. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, all that changes when Darcy is bitten by a zombie. When his aunt tells Elizabeth that a cure exists in London, Elizabeth, Kitty, Mary and Mr. Bennett set off to find the cure. Zombie fights entail. Secrets are revealed. And Elizabeth remembers how much fun she had as a true warrior. This is the last of the P&P&Z books- and sufficient to say, Darcy and Elizabeth do get their happily ever after!
When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison. If you are looking for an easy beach read, chick lit type, this is it. Gemma is a private chef in DC. She works for a few different households, each of which has their own drama. But she thinks she's happy with her life. She has her work, she has her friends. But she certainly isn't looking for love. After a one night stand, all of that changes. As her work life gets turned upside down, so does her personal life. It's a little deeper than some chick lit (Gemma put a child up for adoption when she got pregnant at 16). But still a good time and a good read.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Ever heard of HeLa cells? I sure hadn't. Ever heard of the polio vaccine, cloning and gene mapping? Of course. They are because of HeLa cells. The cells taken from the cervical tumor of a 31 year old black woman in 1951. Those cells, unlike normal cells, went on to continue to divide and grow at an astonishing rate. For 20 years, her family had no idea that her cells had been taken. In fact, everyone thought they had come from a woman named Helen Lane. When the author (who has a degree in biological sciences) learned about this woman, little was really known about her. Henrietta's family finally opened up and were willing to share what had happened. This family has no health insurance and most of them live in subsidised housing. Yet Henrietta's cells have gone on to form a multi-million dollar industry. The family will never see a penny, because once cells/tissues/etc are removed from your body, you have no control over what happens to them. But her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will know that their mother, who loved to help people, has gone on to help more people than she ever could have dreamed! It was a great book- I'm not much of a science girl, but even I found this fascinating!
The Second Empress by Michelle Moran. Yes, more historical fiction. This is the most recent one by Moran. And I loved it. Marie-Louise is just 19 years old when she marries 40 year old Napoleon, who is fresh off of his divorce from Josephine. Marie-Louise is able to provide Napoleon with the one thing Josephine couldn't, an heir. But aside from that, Napoleon's love for Josephine never fades. Marie-Louise must also contend with Pauline, Napoleon's sister. The two of them have a, shall we say, not quite sibling appropriate relationship. Pauline, just like her brother, is power hungry. She's also a bit of a slut. Her goal- to rule with her brother, just like the pharaohs in ancient Egypt. About a year after Marie-Louise gives birth, the Russian disaster occurs and Napoleon is forced into exile. Marie-Louise and her son return to Austria, where she is free to live out her days with the love of her life (who she unfortunately can't marry until Napoleon dies. But who needs that- they still had children together!). The story is told through the eyes of Marie-Louise, Pauline and Pauline's Haitian (does anyone else say it the way Cher did in Clueless or is that just me?) chamberlain, Paul. Probably one of Moran's stories that is closer to history than to fiction. I read the book in one day, it was that good!
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer. I love me some Jodi Picoult (despite the fact that it's usually the exact same story). But this is Jodi Picoult like you've never even imagined! Her co-author is her teen aged daughter. And the story? A re-imagined fairy tale (clearly my other new favorite). Have you ever wondered what fairy tale characters do when you aren't reading their story? Delilah never did. Until one day, Prince Oliver spoke to her from the pages of her favorite fairy tale. Literally spoke to her! Oliver is miserable, continuing to act out the same scenes every time someone reads the story. He wants to escape. And Delilah makes it her mission to help him. But how does a fairy tale character escape from the book that gives him life? A very cute story, made even cuter knowing that Picoult wrote it with her daughter.
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Yes, Kurt Hummel wrote a book, y'all! And it was REALLY good. As my faithful readers probably know, I love a re-worked fairy tale. In this one, Alex and her twin bother Connor fall into a fairy tale book that their grandmother gave them. Did you know that Goldilocks was a wanted fugitive? Or Red Riding Hood was a tad bit narcissistic? Or that the Princes Charming were all brothers? Or that the Evil Queen really was a kind of sad figure? Despite their love of fairy tales, the twins didn't know these things either! The book was fantastic- I read it in 2 days (and it's over 400 pages). According to Kurt, er um I mean Chris, he plans on writing more stories. I CAN'T WAIT!!
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me and My Week with Marilyn by Colin Clark. These two books together sort of made up the movie My Week with Marilyn. The first book is Colin's diary that he kept during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl. In it, he discusses the difficulties Sir Laurence Olivier had on set with Marilyn. Oddly, it doesn't seem that all of it was entirely Marilyn's fault. She had just married Arthur Miller, her third husband. While she was most definitely a movie star (the camera loved her), she was also most definitely not an actress. Olivier (who was married to Vivien Leigh) understood actors. He did not understand this strange new bred of creature in front of him. The woman who somehow managed to stumble onto moments of brilliance, then flee from the set in utter confusion and forgetfulness. The second book was a much more detailed account of the one week that Colin spent as Marilyn's special confidante. Even though both books were combined into the same publication and the second book was first, I decided to read them chronologically. Which meant reading half of the first book, switching over to read the second in its entirety, then back to finish the first. A little confused perhaps, but certainly made the story flow! I had just seen the movie (Michelle Williams was completely captivating). And the book was just as amazing. You kind of feel bad for Marilyn. All she wants is someone to love her and all she got were people who pandered to her and drugged her (just like Elvis). Even her husband viewed her as a plaything- he got to be the man to bed the famous Marilyn Monroe after all! Her story seems to be everywhere lately. The TV show, Smash. The most recent People magazine. There is just a fascination about her that will never die. She won't let it!
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This month's book club book. I can't really write a full review or I will RUIN the book. Nick and Amy are about to celebrate their five year anniversary. They are both writers who were fired from their jobs in NYC and have moved back to Nick's hometown on the banks of the Mississippi. Nick is small-town Missouri, Amy is the subject of a beloved children's book and an heiress. By the time they move back to Missouri, they have lost everything. The day of their anniversary, Amy goes missing. And all signs point to Nick as the killer. Is he? Amy seems a sympathetic character. But oddly, so does Nick. The twists that keep coming in this book, holy crap! I think I sat with my mouth open in shock for about a minute when I finished. This has got to be one of the craziest books I've read in a long time. I absolutely loved it. And can't wait to discuss with book club!!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith. Last month, I read the prequel, this month the sequel. Elizabeth and Darcy are now happily married, but not necessarily content. As a married woman, Elizabeth can't be seen in public with weapons, despite her skill as a warrior. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, all that changes when Darcy is bitten by a zombie. When his aunt tells Elizabeth that a cure exists in London, Elizabeth, Kitty, Mary and Mr. Bennett set off to find the cure. Zombie fights entail. Secrets are revealed. And Elizabeth remembers how much fun she had as a true warrior. This is the last of the P&P&Z books- and sufficient to say, Darcy and Elizabeth do get their happily ever after!
When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison. If you are looking for an easy beach read, chick lit type, this is it. Gemma is a private chef in DC. She works for a few different households, each of which has their own drama. But she thinks she's happy with her life. She has her work, she has her friends. But she certainly isn't looking for love. After a one night stand, all of that changes. As her work life gets turned upside down, so does her personal life. It's a little deeper than some chick lit (Gemma put a child up for adoption when she got pregnant at 16). But still a good time and a good read.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Ever heard of HeLa cells? I sure hadn't. Ever heard of the polio vaccine, cloning and gene mapping? Of course. They are because of HeLa cells. The cells taken from the cervical tumor of a 31 year old black woman in 1951. Those cells, unlike normal cells, went on to continue to divide and grow at an astonishing rate. For 20 years, her family had no idea that her cells had been taken. In fact, everyone thought they had come from a woman named Helen Lane. When the author (who has a degree in biological sciences) learned about this woman, little was really known about her. Henrietta's family finally opened up and were willing to share what had happened. This family has no health insurance and most of them live in subsidised housing. Yet Henrietta's cells have gone on to form a multi-million dollar industry. The family will never see a penny, because once cells/tissues/etc are removed from your body, you have no control over what happens to them. But her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will know that their mother, who loved to help people, has gone on to help more people than she ever could have dreamed! It was a great book- I'm not much of a science girl, but even I found this fascinating!
The Second Empress by Michelle Moran. Yes, more historical fiction. This is the most recent one by Moran. And I loved it. Marie-Louise is just 19 years old when she marries 40 year old Napoleon, who is fresh off of his divorce from Josephine. Marie-Louise is able to provide Napoleon with the one thing Josephine couldn't, an heir. But aside from that, Napoleon's love for Josephine never fades. Marie-Louise must also contend with Pauline, Napoleon's sister. The two of them have a, shall we say, not quite sibling appropriate relationship. Pauline, just like her brother, is power hungry. She's also a bit of a slut. Her goal- to rule with her brother, just like the pharaohs in ancient Egypt. About a year after Marie-Louise gives birth, the Russian disaster occurs and Napoleon is forced into exile. Marie-Louise and her son return to Austria, where she is free to live out her days with the love of her life (who she unfortunately can't marry until Napoleon dies. But who needs that- they still had children together!). The story is told through the eyes of Marie-Louise, Pauline and Pauline's Haitian (does anyone else say it the way Cher did in Clueless or is that just me?) chamberlain, Paul. Probably one of Moran's stories that is closer to history than to fiction. I read the book in one day, it was that good!
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer. I love me some Jodi Picoult (despite the fact that it's usually the exact same story). But this is Jodi Picoult like you've never even imagined! Her co-author is her teen aged daughter. And the story? A re-imagined fairy tale (clearly my other new favorite). Have you ever wondered what fairy tale characters do when you aren't reading their story? Delilah never did. Until one day, Prince Oliver spoke to her from the pages of her favorite fairy tale. Literally spoke to her! Oliver is miserable, continuing to act out the same scenes every time someone reads the story. He wants to escape. And Delilah makes it her mission to help him. But how does a fairy tale character escape from the book that gives him life? A very cute story, made even cuter knowing that Picoult wrote it with her daughter.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
July was slow reading, but good stuff!
This month, my reading choices were all over the place. Chick lit to historical fiction to spiritual to Austen-esque lit. I love reading such a wide range of stuff!
The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo. I read this book in 4 hours (got to love a holiday where you can just sit by the pool and read!). Kate Shaw is a writer who is living a pretty happy life. Until everything turns upside down. She loses her boyfriend, a potential job, the family home and her grandmother all right before her 40th birthday. She is finally offered an opportunity to freelance for a magazine and the article is to be about marrying a rich man. Thanks in no small part to a birthday gift of land in Scotland that made her a Lady, she begins to jet set in search of her own Mr. Darcy. But at the age of 40, what is really more important- love or money?
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty. And we return to the historical fiction. In 1922, Louise Brooks, the famous silent movie actress who made the bob THE haircut to have, was just 15 years old when she was accepted to a famous dance school in New York. Her parents couldn't allow her to travel to, and live in, New York without a chaperone. That's where neighbor Cora Carlisle came in. For her, it was an opportunity to learn more about her own life. She had come to Kansas at 6 years old, an orphan from New York. While in New York, Cora finally becomes the woman she always wanted to be and takes these discoveries home to Kansas with her. Louise, on the other hand, goes on to become the icon of a generation before falling into demise. An absolutely fascinating book- I'd suggest it for a book club read. I read it in one day (ok, the same day as I read The Jane Austen Marriage Manual. What can I say- I LOVE a holiday!)
By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho. I needed a little break from historical fiction (mainly because I didn't have any to read at the moment), so went back to a favorite author. Coelho is one of the most spiritual authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. All of his books focus on different emotions/experiences. This one is about forgiveness. Pilar and her childhood sweetheart haven't seen each other for eleven years. During this years, Pilar has gone to school and pondered what she will do with her life. Her childhood sweetheart, on the other hand, has become a famous spiritual leader. He has been given a miraculous gift. But when Pilar comes back into his life, he must decide which is more important- his gift or his love. For Pilar, there is no decision. Faith, love and miracles are all tied up together.
The Au Pairs by Melissa de la Cruz. I've read quite a bit of her work, most of it being of the supernatural bent. Vampires, witches, etc. This one was about 3 girls who become au pairs for a rich family in the Hamptons one summer. Mindless beach read. And while I still think she's an enjoyable author, I definitely like her supernatural stuff better.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith. This takes place before Elizabeth and Darcy have the pleasure of meeting. In fact, it takes place right around the time Elizabeth is about to have her coming out at her first ball. Instead, corpses begin to emerge from the ground. Mr. Bennet informs his daughters that the unmentionables have returned. And that he, as a warrior, has neglected his duties. He has not trained his daughters in the deadly arts. Elizabeth quickly reveals herself to be quite adept at zombie hunting. Along the way, she falls in love. With her deadly arts Master and also with a doctor who is trying to learn about zombies. Eventually, every bit of the Bennet girls' training is necessary when the zombie herds attack. I love Jane Austen and I love supernatural. So these books are a perfect combination for me!
The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo. I read this book in 4 hours (got to love a holiday where you can just sit by the pool and read!). Kate Shaw is a writer who is living a pretty happy life. Until everything turns upside down. She loses her boyfriend, a potential job, the family home and her grandmother all right before her 40th birthday. She is finally offered an opportunity to freelance for a magazine and the article is to be about marrying a rich man. Thanks in no small part to a birthday gift of land in Scotland that made her a Lady, she begins to jet set in search of her own Mr. Darcy. But at the age of 40, what is really more important- love or money?
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty. And we return to the historical fiction. In 1922, Louise Brooks, the famous silent movie actress who made the bob THE haircut to have, was just 15 years old when she was accepted to a famous dance school in New York. Her parents couldn't allow her to travel to, and live in, New York without a chaperone. That's where neighbor Cora Carlisle came in. For her, it was an opportunity to learn more about her own life. She had come to Kansas at 6 years old, an orphan from New York. While in New York, Cora finally becomes the woman she always wanted to be and takes these discoveries home to Kansas with her. Louise, on the other hand, goes on to become the icon of a generation before falling into demise. An absolutely fascinating book- I'd suggest it for a book club read. I read it in one day (ok, the same day as I read The Jane Austen Marriage Manual. What can I say- I LOVE a holiday!)
By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho. I needed a little break from historical fiction (mainly because I didn't have any to read at the moment), so went back to a favorite author. Coelho is one of the most spiritual authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. All of his books focus on different emotions/experiences. This one is about forgiveness. Pilar and her childhood sweetheart haven't seen each other for eleven years. During this years, Pilar has gone to school and pondered what she will do with her life. Her childhood sweetheart, on the other hand, has become a famous spiritual leader. He has been given a miraculous gift. But when Pilar comes back into his life, he must decide which is more important- his gift or his love. For Pilar, there is no decision. Faith, love and miracles are all tied up together.
The Au Pairs by Melissa de la Cruz. I've read quite a bit of her work, most of it being of the supernatural bent. Vampires, witches, etc. This one was about 3 girls who become au pairs for a rich family in the Hamptons one summer. Mindless beach read. And while I still think she's an enjoyable author, I definitely like her supernatural stuff better.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith. This takes place before Elizabeth and Darcy have the pleasure of meeting. In fact, it takes place right around the time Elizabeth is about to have her coming out at her first ball. Instead, corpses begin to emerge from the ground. Mr. Bennet informs his daughters that the unmentionables have returned. And that he, as a warrior, has neglected his duties. He has not trained his daughters in the deadly arts. Elizabeth quickly reveals herself to be quite adept at zombie hunting. Along the way, she falls in love. With her deadly arts Master and also with a doctor who is trying to learn about zombies. Eventually, every bit of the Bennet girls' training is necessary when the zombie herds attack. I love Jane Austen and I love supernatural. So these books are a perfect combination for me!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Clearly, June was the month of historical fiction
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran. Again with the historical fiction! It's becoming ridiculously apparent to me that I have a new obsession here. I don't think I'd ever thought about the life of Madame Tussaud. All I knew about her was that she had a wax museum and now an empire that has taken over the world! I didn't think about when she had lived, where she had lived, how she learned her craft. Turns out, she learned from her "uncle" (who was also her mother's common law husband) during the 1700's in Paris. He owned the Salon de Cire, a wax museum. She survived the French Revolution, despite being the sculpting tutor of the king's sister. She was forced to make the death masks of almost every notable person who was killed during the Reign of Terror. She was arrested for finally refusing to make death masks of women she had known. While in prison with her mother (who was arrested simply for being her mother), she met Francois Tussaud. After the Reign of Terror ended and they were freed, she married him. It was never a good marriage, as he was a drunk and a gambler. She was able to finally escape him and reunite with the love of her life, scientist Henri Charles, in England, where the original Madame Tussaud's wax museum was opened. I don't think I truly realized horrific the French Revolution and subsequent Reign of Terror were. Fascinating story!
Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten. Danielle Parkman is a successful NYC attorney whose son Max is autistic. When he starts to become too much for her to handle, she takes him to a special psychiatric hospital for a full diagnosis. While awaiting the diagnosis, she befriends a fellow mother of a severally autistic boy, Marianne Morrison. Max slowly becomes more violent and lashes out against Marianne's son. Then, one day, Max is found in the other boy's room, covered in his blood and holding the murder weapon. Danielle promptly goes to work to prove her son's innocence. There was quite a twist at the end. Very enjoyable book!
Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. I loved the first book of hers that I read, so I figured another one would be a good idea. And it was! Nefertiti and her husband, one of the Pharaohs of Egypt, briefly changed the face of Egypt. Her husband decided that they would no longer worship their gods, but rather the Sun itself. He built a new capital city. And eventually, his work was destroyed when the Black Plague destroyed his city. I know this is historical FICTION, but it is still so fascinating!
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran. After Cleopatra and Marc Antony took their lives, Octavian killed her two sons from Julius Caesar. Her three younger children (Marc Antony's children) were taken as prisoners to Rome. Twins Alexander and Selene and younger brother Ptolemy had their entire worlds turned upside down. While Ptolemy didn't survive the voyage to Rome, the twins came of age in their new city. Because Alexander, as the rightful heir to Egypt, posed a threat to Octavian, he was killed the night he turned 15. Selene went on to marry and become a queen in her own right. Like I said, I'm completely fascinated with historical fiction now!
The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. This was my book club book. They chose an easy chick lit, beach read for this month. And I loved it!! Clearly, I have two types of books that will always get me- chick lit and historical fiction. Anyway, in this book, June is driving a car and has an accident that causes the death of her passenger. She finds a list of 20 things to do before Marissa, the passenger, turns 25. Some of the things are easy (kiss a stranger, go braless) while others are much more difficult (run a 5 K, change someone's life). She only has 6 months to finish the list. Along the way, she learns a lot about Marissa and herself.
The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. Yep- a pattern has emerged. I've now read every book Moran has written up to this point. This one was just as good as the others. It tells the story of Nefertari, niece of Nefertiti, and her husband Ramesses the Great. You know, the pharaoh during the Hebrew exodus from Eygpt. The story doesn't go into the Hebrew aspect very much. Instead it focuses on Nefertari and Ramesses. While at first the people didn't love her because she was the niece of the Heretic Queen, her bravery and her brilliance eventually won their hearts. As for Ramesses, she always had his heart. On a wall of her burial chamber, Ramesses had the following words written, "My love is unique and none can rival her. . .Just by passing, she has stolen my heart away." Truly a love story!
Serpant's Kiss by Melissa de la Cruz. The second in the Witches of East End series. Melissa de la Cruz writes supernatural so well. Norman and Joanna are witches/gods who have been trapped in our world. Their children, Ingrid and twins Freya and Freddie, each have their own gifts and strengths. Freddie was framed for a crime and managed to escape his punishment. Freya and her fiance Killian are trying to help Freddie. Ingrid has her own love life problems, made more difficult by some mischievous pixies. Eventually Freya is ripped back in time to the Salem witch trials. Where the god of mischief Loki is waiting to end her family's line.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
I got some good reading done in May
Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris. The next Sookie Stackhouse book. Let's face facts- I love me some True Blood. But the series has deviated so far from the books that I can't even remember what's going on in the books anymore! Long story short- Sookie is in a near death experience. Again. Bill still loves her. Eric is distant. The fae all go back to Faery. That's about it for this installment! Same Sookie, different book. I feel like I love the TV series more than the books now.
Bewitching by Alex Flinn. Other modern day fairytale. In this one, the witch from Beastly makes another appearance. Only this time, she has a much bigger role. Kendra has been a witch since 1666, when she lost most of her family in the Plague. She has been involved in a lot of famous fairy tales and actually shares the real stories. Hansel and Gretal. The Little Mermaid. To name a few. In this story, it's a little bit of Cinderella. Only the ugly stepsister isn't ugly, just insecure. And she's definitely not evil. This time, Cinderella is! Sometimes, when Kendra tries to use her witchcraft to help, it backfires. This time, she's successful. And finds her first real friend in hundreds of years in the stepsister! I love Alex Flinn's writing. It's creative, it's quick, it's always enjoyable. While I do like all of her books (see March's readings), her reworkings of fairy tales are my favorite!
Helen Keller in Love by Rosie Sultan. I think that historical fiction might be my new favorite genre. This one is about (shocker!) Helen Keller and her one love affair. I feel like everyone has heard of Helen Keller (for Pete's sake, there's a song about doing the Helen Keller and talking with your hips). But I didn't really know a lot about her. She fell in love with Peter Kagan during 1916. He allowed to her experience things that her family and Annie Sullivan were never going to allow. They planned to elope and he never came to get her. She called that time in her life an island of happiness. She never fell in love again and never married. It was a fantastic book!
Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd. I don't think I realized when I bought this book that it was Christian chick lit (which can sometimes be a little much for me). But this one was great! Lexi is a recent college grad (French studies major, bien sur!) She has to move home, deal with her parents moving and find a new job. She ends up at a French bakery, where she realizes her love of French culture and her love of food might just create a whole new career for her. She finds a place to live, love and a new path in life. All while realizing that if she truly has a relationship with God, everything else will fall into place. For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11. It was just enough God to remind me of which relationships are truly the important ones, but not enough to make me feel overwhelmed. I'd rather read my Bible than an overwhelmingly religious work of fiction any day of the week
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris. The next Sookie Stackhouse book. Let's face facts- I love me some True Blood. But the series has deviated so far from the books that I can't even remember what's going on in the books anymore! Long story short- Sookie is in a near death experience. Again. Bill still loves her. Eric is distant. The fae all go back to Faery. That's about it for this installment! Same Sookie, different book. I feel like I love the TV series more than the books now.
Bewitching by Alex Flinn. Other modern day fairytale. In this one, the witch from Beastly makes another appearance. Only this time, she has a much bigger role. Kendra has been a witch since 1666, when she lost most of her family in the Plague. She has been involved in a lot of famous fairy tales and actually shares the real stories. Hansel and Gretal. The Little Mermaid. To name a few. In this story, it's a little bit of Cinderella. Only the ugly stepsister isn't ugly, just insecure. And she's definitely not evil. This time, Cinderella is! Sometimes, when Kendra tries to use her witchcraft to help, it backfires. This time, she's successful. And finds her first real friend in hundreds of years in the stepsister! I love Alex Flinn's writing. It's creative, it's quick, it's always enjoyable. While I do like all of her books (see March's readings), her reworkings of fairy tales are my favorite!
Helen Keller in Love by Rosie Sultan. I think that historical fiction might be my new favorite genre. This one is about (shocker!) Helen Keller and her one love affair. I feel like everyone has heard of Helen Keller (for Pete's sake, there's a song about doing the Helen Keller and talking with your hips). But I didn't really know a lot about her. She fell in love with Peter Kagan during 1916. He allowed to her experience things that her family and Annie Sullivan were never going to allow. They planned to elope and he never came to get her. She called that time in her life an island of happiness. She never fell in love again and never married. It was a fantastic book!
Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd. I don't think I realized when I bought this book that it was Christian chick lit (which can sometimes be a little much for me). But this one was great! Lexi is a recent college grad (French studies major, bien sur!) She has to move home, deal with her parents moving and find a new job. She ends up at a French bakery, where she realizes her love of French culture and her love of food might just create a whole new career for her. She finds a place to live, love and a new path in life. All while realizing that if she truly has a relationship with God, everything else will fall into place. For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11. It was just enough God to remind me of which relationships are truly the important ones, but not enough to make me feel overwhelmed. I'd rather read my Bible than an overwhelmingly religious work of fiction any day of the week
Monday, April 30, 2012
Finally getting some reading done!
Now that my pool has opened, I'm getting to read more books. Yay!
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore. All Catherine Grace Cline has ever wanted out of life is to get out of the small Georgia town in which she was raised. Her preacher father and younger sister support her dream, but don't really understand it. She spends every Saturday at the Dairy Queen, dreaming of her escape. And on her eighteenth birthday, she gets her escape, leaving for Atlanta. Finally, she begins a new life and all of her dreams start to fall into place. Until a death drags her back to her hometown, where she is confronted by a ghost from her past and is forced to reconsider her future. It was an easy read and a very good story. Two thumbs up!
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Ever seen The Village? Then you know the story, minus the blind girl and with a lot more exposure to the modern world. Only this time, the town in the 1840's was created by a millionaire who wanted a real-life Williamsburg. Tourists can watch people living in 1840 via video. And until diphtheria strikes the village, everyone is content. But the millionaire refuses to allow any modern references, even medicine to help the sick children. So Jessie, thirteen year old daughter of the blacksmith and the midwife, escapes and "goes to the future" for help. Turns out the entire tourist site was an experiment to strengthen the gene pool and create people who were completely immune to all diseases. Unfortunately the experiment backfired and eventually the entire compound is shut down. And the men who set up the experiment are held responsible for their actions. Interesting read.
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart. During the summer of 1945, best friends and sorority sisters Marjorie (yes, the author of the book) and Marty move to New York City for the summer. They get jobs at Tiffany, the first women to ever have those jobs (due to the war and the shortage of young men). What follows is a summer that neither of them ever forget. They go dancing, see celebrities, experience amazing events in the life of our country during war (am I the only person who didn't know that a plane flew into the Empire State Building and Mayor La Guardia himself ran into the building to help save people?!), be IN Times Square to celebrate VJ Day, and even fall in love. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that this was a memoir (I picked it up thinking it was a work of fiction). I really think I was born at the wrong time- I should've lived in the 20's or 40's! The epilogue shared that Marjorie became a professional cellist and music teacher, in addition to being a wife and mother. Marty went into finance and was even a Junior Leaguer!
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. Five women become friends during the late 1960's by starting a neighborhood book club. For the next thirty years, their lives remain intertwined. Through childbirth and deaths, through divorce and remarriage, through abusive husbands and everything life throws at them. These five women are there for each other. It's a great story. One of my favorite parts was that each chapter starts with the book they have chosen. Challenge accepted- more books for my list!
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. It was my month to pick our book club book and I chose this one. I'd already read it, so knew how freaking fantastic it is! It's historical fiction about Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Mamah and her husband commissioned Frank to build them a house in Oak Park, Illinois. A few years later, Frank went to Europe and took Mamah with him, leaving their respective spouses and children behind. The scandal that followed them was the stuff of modern gossip magazines. After some time in Europe, they returned to Wisconsin, where Frank built one of his amazing architectural structures, Taliensin. While Mamah's husband did grant her a divorce (and eventually allowed her visitation with their children), Frank's wife refused to do the same. So Frank and Mamah lived "in sin" for several years. Until the ultimate disaster destroyed their happiness, forever. Amazing historical fiction. I would reread this book a million times!
The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers. In 1971, sisters Lulu and Merry have their whole world turned upside down. Ten year old Lulu defies her mother's warnings and lets their drunken father into their apartment. When her mother screams for her to get help, she runs to a neighbor. When they return, her mother is fatally stabbed in the kitchen. And her father has stabbed five year old Merry and himself. Their father is sent to prison and eventually Lulu and Merry end up in an orphanage. They are finally taken in by foster parents and both try to cope as best they can. For Lulu, that means acting as though her father is dead, while becoming a doctor, wife and mother. Merry still loves her father, but seems lost. She eventually becomes a probation agent, but is never able to settle down. The sisters remain impossibly close and intertwined, loving and hating their parents and each other in turn. Then, after 30 years, Merry learns that their father has finally been granted parole. Both the women soon learn what place they are willing to allow their father to have in their lives. Very powerful book- I read it in one day!
There's Cake in my Future by Kim Gruenenfelder. Perfect chick lit! At her bridal shower, bride-to-be Nic decides to rig the cake pull have make sure her friends pull the charms she thinks they should have. But when the cake gets turned around, no one pulls the charm she planned. Seema ends up with the shovel, for hard work. How will that help her turn her friendship with Scott into true love? Melissa pulls the chili pepper, for a hot love affair. Does that mean her boyfriend of 6 years will finally pop the question? And Nic pulls the baby carriage. She's not even sure she's ready to be a full-time step mom, let alone a full-time birth mom! But as the other charms seem to work on the other guests, the three women realize that the charms they pulled were the ones they needed all along.
The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter. The day of her wedding, marriage counselor and relationship expert Kate Lawrence is left at the alter. Embarrassing enough under any circumstances, but worse for Kate because her wedding (with a surprise groom) is set to coincide with the release of her new book. Her landlord and neighbor, Lucas Wright, volunteers to take the place of the MIA groom. Little does Kate know that its because he's in love with her. She agrees and their year of faux wedded bliss begins. Once the truth comes out, her world begins to fall apart. Will Lucas' love be enough? Does she actually love her convenient groom? Good pool/beach read.
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore. All Catherine Grace Cline has ever wanted out of life is to get out of the small Georgia town in which she was raised. Her preacher father and younger sister support her dream, but don't really understand it. She spends every Saturday at the Dairy Queen, dreaming of her escape. And on her eighteenth birthday, she gets her escape, leaving for Atlanta. Finally, she begins a new life and all of her dreams start to fall into place. Until a death drags her back to her hometown, where she is confronted by a ghost from her past and is forced to reconsider her future. It was an easy read and a very good story. Two thumbs up!
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Ever seen The Village? Then you know the story, minus the blind girl and with a lot more exposure to the modern world. Only this time, the town in the 1840's was created by a millionaire who wanted a real-life Williamsburg. Tourists can watch people living in 1840 via video. And until diphtheria strikes the village, everyone is content. But the millionaire refuses to allow any modern references, even medicine to help the sick children. So Jessie, thirteen year old daughter of the blacksmith and the midwife, escapes and "goes to the future" for help. Turns out the entire tourist site was an experiment to strengthen the gene pool and create people who were completely immune to all diseases. Unfortunately the experiment backfired and eventually the entire compound is shut down. And the men who set up the experiment are held responsible for their actions. Interesting read.
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart. During the summer of 1945, best friends and sorority sisters Marjorie (yes, the author of the book) and Marty move to New York City for the summer. They get jobs at Tiffany, the first women to ever have those jobs (due to the war and the shortage of young men). What follows is a summer that neither of them ever forget. They go dancing, see celebrities, experience amazing events in the life of our country during war (am I the only person who didn't know that a plane flew into the Empire State Building and Mayor La Guardia himself ran into the building to help save people?!), be IN Times Square to celebrate VJ Day, and even fall in love. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that this was a memoir (I picked it up thinking it was a work of fiction). I really think I was born at the wrong time- I should've lived in the 20's or 40's! The epilogue shared that Marjorie became a professional cellist and music teacher, in addition to being a wife and mother. Marty went into finance and was even a Junior Leaguer!
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. Five women become friends during the late 1960's by starting a neighborhood book club. For the next thirty years, their lives remain intertwined. Through childbirth and deaths, through divorce and remarriage, through abusive husbands and everything life throws at them. These five women are there for each other. It's a great story. One of my favorite parts was that each chapter starts with the book they have chosen. Challenge accepted- more books for my list!
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. It was my month to pick our book club book and I chose this one. I'd already read it, so knew how freaking fantastic it is! It's historical fiction about Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Mamah and her husband commissioned Frank to build them a house in Oak Park, Illinois. A few years later, Frank went to Europe and took Mamah with him, leaving their respective spouses and children behind. The scandal that followed them was the stuff of modern gossip magazines. After some time in Europe, they returned to Wisconsin, where Frank built one of his amazing architectural structures, Taliensin. While Mamah's husband did grant her a divorce (and eventually allowed her visitation with their children), Frank's wife refused to do the same. So Frank and Mamah lived "in sin" for several years. Until the ultimate disaster destroyed their happiness, forever. Amazing historical fiction. I would reread this book a million times!
The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers. In 1971, sisters Lulu and Merry have their whole world turned upside down. Ten year old Lulu defies her mother's warnings and lets their drunken father into their apartment. When her mother screams for her to get help, she runs to a neighbor. When they return, her mother is fatally stabbed in the kitchen. And her father has stabbed five year old Merry and himself. Their father is sent to prison and eventually Lulu and Merry end up in an orphanage. They are finally taken in by foster parents and both try to cope as best they can. For Lulu, that means acting as though her father is dead, while becoming a doctor, wife and mother. Merry still loves her father, but seems lost. She eventually becomes a probation agent, but is never able to settle down. The sisters remain impossibly close and intertwined, loving and hating their parents and each other in turn. Then, after 30 years, Merry learns that their father has finally been granted parole. Both the women soon learn what place they are willing to allow their father to have in their lives. Very powerful book- I read it in one day!
There's Cake in my Future by Kim Gruenenfelder. Perfect chick lit! At her bridal shower, bride-to-be Nic decides to rig the cake pull have make sure her friends pull the charms she thinks they should have. But when the cake gets turned around, no one pulls the charm she planned. Seema ends up with the shovel, for hard work. How will that help her turn her friendship with Scott into true love? Melissa pulls the chili pepper, for a hot love affair. Does that mean her boyfriend of 6 years will finally pop the question? And Nic pulls the baby carriage. She's not even sure she's ready to be a full-time step mom, let alone a full-time birth mom! But as the other charms seem to work on the other guests, the three women realize that the charms they pulled were the ones they needed all along.
The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter. The day of her wedding, marriage counselor and relationship expert Kate Lawrence is left at the alter. Embarrassing enough under any circumstances, but worse for Kate because her wedding (with a surprise groom) is set to coincide with the release of her new book. Her landlord and neighbor, Lucas Wright, volunteers to take the place of the MIA groom. Little does Kate know that its because he's in love with her. She agrees and their year of faux wedded bliss begins. Once the truth comes out, her world begins to fall apart. Will Lucas' love be enough? Does she actually love her convenient groom? Good pool/beach read.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
This March, reading Unbroken broke me!
One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash. This was my book club book. Ron Rash is a southern author. The book was fantastic- very Faulkneresque. Billy and Amy Holcombe are involved in the murder of Holland Winchester, but no one can prove it. Not Holland's mother, not the sheriff, no one. The story is told through the eyes of 5 different characters. Eventually, the truth comes out the day that Carolina Power floods and creates Lake Jocassee. I couldn't stop reading it! Strongly suggested, especially if you like southern literature!! I will say that most of my book club didn't enjoy it the book as much as I did though.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The story of Louis Zamperini. He was an Olympic runner whose plane went down in the middle of the Pacific during World War 2. When he and his raft-mate finally floated to shore after 47 days at sea, they immediately became POWs in Japanese camps. When he was finally freed at war's end, he went through horrible PTSD. That is, until he heard Billy Graham speak. From that moment on, his life was different,. He stayed active well into his 90's, skiing, running, even skateboarding. Even though the story was very interesting, I had a really hard time reading the book. Clearly, as I only got 3 books read this month. It was more of a history buff's book. And I am far from that. Oddly enough, I would suggest it to anyone who loves war history though. Hillenbrand is an excellent writer after all.
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn. I've read quite a few of her books. Most of them are modern day fairy tales. Literally- she takes a fairy tale and sets it in modern times. This one was no fairy tale. Nick, a 16 year old rich kid, is in anger management because he beat up his girlfriend. His anger issues stem from the fact that his father likes to beat the crap out of him and humiliate him. The story goes back and forth between Nick writing in a journal about his relationship with Caitlin and what is happening in his life now. It was a tough story to read because I really was able to identify with Caitlin. It's hard to stop forgiving someone you love, even when they are acting out. Nick humiliated her, called her names, treated her badly, didn't trust her and finally hit her. In the end, he lost the girl, but gained much more. He finally realized that being a man isn't about making yourself better than others by putting them down, but about being strong and sensitive. A man is secure enough in himself that he doesn't need to control the people around him.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The story of Louis Zamperini. He was an Olympic runner whose plane went down in the middle of the Pacific during World War 2. When he and his raft-mate finally floated to shore after 47 days at sea, they immediately became POWs in Japanese camps. When he was finally freed at war's end, he went through horrible PTSD. That is, until he heard Billy Graham speak. From that moment on, his life was different,. He stayed active well into his 90's, skiing, running, even skateboarding. Even though the story was very interesting, I had a really hard time reading the book. Clearly, as I only got 3 books read this month. It was more of a history buff's book. And I am far from that. Oddly enough, I would suggest it to anyone who loves war history though. Hillenbrand is an excellent writer after all.
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn. I've read quite a few of her books. Most of them are modern day fairy tales. Literally- she takes a fairy tale and sets it in modern times. This one was no fairy tale. Nick, a 16 year old rich kid, is in anger management because he beat up his girlfriend. His anger issues stem from the fact that his father likes to beat the crap out of him and humiliate him. The story goes back and forth between Nick writing in a journal about his relationship with Caitlin and what is happening in his life now. It was a tough story to read because I really was able to identify with Caitlin. It's hard to stop forgiving someone you love, even when they are acting out. Nick humiliated her, called her names, treated her badly, didn't trust her and finally hit her. In the end, he lost the girl, but gained much more. He finally realized that being a man isn't about making yourself better than others by putting them down, but about being strong and sensitive. A man is secure enough in himself that he doesn't need to control the people around him.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
It's like sleeping on a cloud. A very firm cloud
For those of you who are friends with me on FB, you know my mattress saga (or at least some of it). And my back problem saga. At least in status update form. Here's a slightly more detailed version.
After weeks of back problems (and multiple suggestions from friends to get a new mattress already), the eventual destruction of my back on February 12 for 24 hours finally pushed me over the edge. So, on February 18, President's Day Weekend, the mattress search was on. Mom and I figured there would be some good sales so what better time to buy. I have a full bed, not a queen like most other grownups, so decided I wasn't willing to spend a lot of money on a mattress that (please, please) will not be on my bed for the next 10 years. Hopefully, it will get relegated to the guest room at some point. And, no offense to my guests, but y'all ain't getting a Tempurpedic!
Mom and I decided to hit Macy's first. Macy's has some very nice mattresses. And they were having an okay sale. Mom and I were lounging around, trying out the different mattresses. And then Deloris, the world's nicest salesperson, stepped in. She let us know, with an apology in her voice, that if only we'd gotten there earlier we could have purchased one of the displays on MAJOR clearance. But unfortunately, there were no queen sized mattresses left, only full. But full is what I need! So Deloris showed us the two fulls that were left. One wasn't very great. But the other? It was heavenly. A Simmons BeautyRest. Ultra firm. As the Shop Tart would say, ding dang y'all! It was a fantastic mattress. And then, I took a gander at the price tag. This was a $2500 mattress, y'all. No wonder it was so divine. But Deloris wasn't lying when she said those displays went on MAJOR clearance. There, on a bright red price tag, was the clearance price. $519. Yep, you read that correctly dear reader. $555 with tax. Shopping done. Did anyone honestly think I could find a better price than that? For that nice of a mattress? I certainly did not. So here is my debit card, Deloris. Ring 'er up! The only downside- no delivery. But really, could I complain about that? And I couldn't pick up my new mattress until March 5. Sad. Because my back could've really used that mattress that day. Oh well. Now that the mattress was purchased, the rest of the day was spent shopping for other fun things!
Fast forward to March 5. I had asked two of the guys I work with to help me. One has a pick-up truck, so really I was using him for that! They readily agreed to help (love those guys). Macy's called to let me know that my mattress would be ready and people there to help me load it between 10 am and 4 pm. That's a problem, Macy's. Some of us have work. Or court. Whichever you prefer. Long story short, I got my new mattress. We loaded up the new one in the truck, got my old one out of the house and over to my parents' to be donated to HomeWorks (I feel bad that somebody's getting an old mattress. But I guess an old mattress is better than no mattress). To thank them for their help, I treated the boys to beer at Morganelli's. Then came home and made up my bed!
In addition to my box springs and super deep new mattress, I also have a fantastic new mattress pad that adds about 2-3 inches of height to my bed. So the whole thing is now about four or five inches above my footboard. No more feet pressed up against the footboard! And my bed now looks so comfy and inviting. I went to bed early last night, just to luxuriate in the amazingness of my new bed. I felt like the Princess and the Pea (minus the pesky pea, of course) climbing onto my high bed last night! And as soon as I actually lay down (after watching a little tv), I was out like a light.
This morning, I woke up feeling great. No back pain, no waking up multiple times throughout the night. Best sleep I've had in months! So in addition to feeling like a princess, I slept like one too. And I've decided that a mattress this good needs a name. To that end, my new mattress has been christened Poppy. Because it is completely sleep inducing!
After weeks of back problems (and multiple suggestions from friends to get a new mattress already), the eventual destruction of my back on February 12 for 24 hours finally pushed me over the edge. So, on February 18, President's Day Weekend, the mattress search was on. Mom and I figured there would be some good sales so what better time to buy. I have a full bed, not a queen like most other grownups, so decided I wasn't willing to spend a lot of money on a mattress that (please, please) will not be on my bed for the next 10 years. Hopefully, it will get relegated to the guest room at some point. And, no offense to my guests, but y'all ain't getting a Tempurpedic!
Mom and I decided to hit Macy's first. Macy's has some very nice mattresses. And they were having an okay sale. Mom and I were lounging around, trying out the different mattresses. And then Deloris, the world's nicest salesperson, stepped in. She let us know, with an apology in her voice, that if only we'd gotten there earlier we could have purchased one of the displays on MAJOR clearance. But unfortunately, there were no queen sized mattresses left, only full. But full is what I need! So Deloris showed us the two fulls that were left. One wasn't very great. But the other? It was heavenly. A Simmons BeautyRest. Ultra firm. As the Shop Tart would say, ding dang y'all! It was a fantastic mattress. And then, I took a gander at the price tag. This was a $2500 mattress, y'all. No wonder it was so divine. But Deloris wasn't lying when she said those displays went on MAJOR clearance. There, on a bright red price tag, was the clearance price. $519. Yep, you read that correctly dear reader. $555 with tax. Shopping done. Did anyone honestly think I could find a better price than that? For that nice of a mattress? I certainly did not. So here is my debit card, Deloris. Ring 'er up! The only downside- no delivery. But really, could I complain about that? And I couldn't pick up my new mattress until March 5. Sad. Because my back could've really used that mattress that day. Oh well. Now that the mattress was purchased, the rest of the day was spent shopping for other fun things!
Fast forward to March 5. I had asked two of the guys I work with to help me. One has a pick-up truck, so really I was using him for that! They readily agreed to help (love those guys). Macy's called to let me know that my mattress would be ready and people there to help me load it between 10 am and 4 pm. That's a problem, Macy's. Some of us have work. Or court. Whichever you prefer. Long story short, I got my new mattress. We loaded up the new one in the truck, got my old one out of the house and over to my parents' to be donated to HomeWorks (I feel bad that somebody's getting an old mattress. But I guess an old mattress is better than no mattress). To thank them for their help, I treated the boys to beer at Morganelli's. Then came home and made up my bed!
In addition to my box springs and super deep new mattress, I also have a fantastic new mattress pad that adds about 2-3 inches of height to my bed. So the whole thing is now about four or five inches above my footboard. No more feet pressed up against the footboard! And my bed now looks so comfy and inviting. I went to bed early last night, just to luxuriate in the amazingness of my new bed. I felt like the Princess and the Pea (minus the pesky pea, of course) climbing onto my high bed last night! And as soon as I actually lay down (after watching a little tv), I was out like a light.
This morning, I woke up feeling great. No back pain, no waking up multiple times throughout the night. Best sleep I've had in months! So in addition to feeling like a princess, I slept like one too. And I've decided that a mattress this good needs a name. To that end, my new mattress has been christened Poppy. Because it is completely sleep inducing!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
I slacked off reading in February....
I have to say, I am embarrassed by how slack I have been since the new year. One would think that giving up the gossip magazines would have helped me with the reading real books. But no. I'm still a slacker. I'll do better next month. Promise. Anyway, here we go!
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. I heard of another book club reading this, so put it on my list. Lillian is a chef who owns her own restaurant. At a very young age, she discovered that cooking is its own language and almost an art form. She decides to share this wisdom and offers cooking classes at her restaurant. This particular group of students consists of a married couple who has overcome difficulties to reach this point together in their lives, a young mother who has forgotten who she is as a woman, an architect who struggles to maintain the integrity of the homes she redesigns, a young widower who rediscovers his love affair with food that had been cultivated by his late wife, a teenager confused about the path her life is on, and several others. The class teaches them more than cooking, it teaches them about their own lives and how to make their lives richer through love.
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Oddly enough, I have had this book on my shelf since before the movie came out. And never got around to reading it. It was not one of my favorites. I will admit, I was jealous of her life (or rather, one year of her life). Wish I could get someone to pay me to take a year off of work and travel. And perhaps my jealousy is why I did not enjoy the book as much as I think I was suppose to. But I had a really hard time getting into the book and found myself thankful when I was finally done. And, to be honest, I really didn't enjoy the movie all that much either. So there you go.
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. Poppy is happily engaged to the handsome, academic Magnus. Then her world slowly starts to spin out of control. She loses the priceless family heirloom engagement ring Magnus gave her. Her cell phone is stolen. Then she finds a new cell phone in a trashcan and decides to use it. The phone belonged to a personal assistant of a man named Sam and suddenly Poppy is swept into Sam's world. All just a few weeks before her wedding day. This book was typical Brit chick lit. It was an easy read and made me wish I could have been sitting on the beach while reading it!
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. I heard of another book club reading this, so put it on my list. Lillian is a chef who owns her own restaurant. At a very young age, she discovered that cooking is its own language and almost an art form. She decides to share this wisdom and offers cooking classes at her restaurant. This particular group of students consists of a married couple who has overcome difficulties to reach this point together in their lives, a young mother who has forgotten who she is as a woman, an architect who struggles to maintain the integrity of the homes she redesigns, a young widower who rediscovers his love affair with food that had been cultivated by his late wife, a teenager confused about the path her life is on, and several others. The class teaches them more than cooking, it teaches them about their own lives and how to make their lives richer through love.
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Oddly enough, I have had this book on my shelf since before the movie came out. And never got around to reading it. It was not one of my favorites. I will admit, I was jealous of her life (or rather, one year of her life). Wish I could get someone to pay me to take a year off of work and travel. And perhaps my jealousy is why I did not enjoy the book as much as I think I was suppose to. But I had a really hard time getting into the book and found myself thankful when I was finally done. And, to be honest, I really didn't enjoy the movie all that much either. So there you go.
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. Poppy is happily engaged to the handsome, academic Magnus. Then her world slowly starts to spin out of control. She loses the priceless family heirloom engagement ring Magnus gave her. Her cell phone is stolen. Then she finds a new cell phone in a trashcan and decides to use it. The phone belonged to a personal assistant of a man named Sam and suddenly Poppy is swept into Sam's world. All just a few weeks before her wedding day. This book was typical Brit chick lit. It was an easy read and made me wish I could have been sitting on the beach while reading it!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Oh my back!
Growing up, I was always a very healthy kid. No major illnesses. No broken bones. I had hay fever. Seriously, that was it. When I got the chicken pox in eighth grade, I had about 20 poxes. Literally, 20 poxes. I got braces and only had them for a little over a year because my teeth were so well behaved and moved exactly like they were supposed to. My biggest problem was tearing the ligaments in my right ankle during my senior year of high school (stupid Camden Military football field).
Then, my body started falling apart. I blame it on years of dancing and cheerleading. It took its toll. And by took its toll I mean the following: tearing the ligaments in the same ankle 2 more times. Developing chondromalacia ie runner's knee (yes, I get the irony of the fact that I do not run, not in the slightest) on my right knee. And then, there was yesterday.
For the past few weeks, my lower back has been hurting. A nice dull pain. I'm sure that some of it has to do with my 10 year old mattress that most definitely needs to be replaced. But I'm thinking the rest of it has to do with just a bad back. Yesterday, I decided to do a little spring cleaning in my kitchen. The older I get, the more like my mother I am becoming. Everything has to be organized and in its place. So I emptied out most of my kitchen cabinets (this is my second time doing this in the past year, so some of the cabinets are nicely organized) and got to work. I started labeling the interiors of my cabinets so I would know what was in there. I started organizing by categories. I was in OCD heaven. Then, after putting something on the counter, I leaned over to pick something up off of the floor. And bam! There went my back. Tears were streaming down my face. And as it turns out, I was in the middle of a back spasm. That lasted for over 8 hours. I normally eat dinner with my parents on Sunday nights. So they came and picked me up for dinner. I passed the evening laying on their floor, drugged up and heating pad slapped on the back. Once back home, I couldn't even fall asleep for the pain. I woke up today, still in pain but no longer in the throes of a back spasm. Here's hoping I wake up feeling even better tomorrow or court's going to be SUPER fun!!
But if this is the sign of things to come, I'm going to be one decrepit 40 year old!
Then, my body started falling apart. I blame it on years of dancing and cheerleading. It took its toll. And by took its toll I mean the following: tearing the ligaments in the same ankle 2 more times. Developing chondromalacia ie runner's knee (yes, I get the irony of the fact that I do not run, not in the slightest) on my right knee. And then, there was yesterday.
For the past few weeks, my lower back has been hurting. A nice dull pain. I'm sure that some of it has to do with my 10 year old mattress that most definitely needs to be replaced. But I'm thinking the rest of it has to do with just a bad back. Yesterday, I decided to do a little spring cleaning in my kitchen. The older I get, the more like my mother I am becoming. Everything has to be organized and in its place. So I emptied out most of my kitchen cabinets (this is my second time doing this in the past year, so some of the cabinets are nicely organized) and got to work. I started labeling the interiors of my cabinets so I would know what was in there. I started organizing by categories. I was in OCD heaven. Then, after putting something on the counter, I leaned over to pick something up off of the floor. And bam! There went my back. Tears were streaming down my face. And as it turns out, I was in the middle of a back spasm. That lasted for over 8 hours. I normally eat dinner with my parents on Sunday nights. So they came and picked me up for dinner. I passed the evening laying on their floor, drugged up and heating pad slapped on the back. Once back home, I couldn't even fall asleep for the pain. I woke up today, still in pain but no longer in the throes of a back spasm. Here's hoping I wake up feeling even better tomorrow or court's going to be SUPER fun!!
But if this is the sign of things to come, I'm going to be one decrepit 40 year old!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
January readings
I didn't read NEARLY as much as I wish I had this month. I'd like to be reading at least 6-8 books a month. But it is what it is. So here goes!
Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury. Kingsbury is a Christian author. And one I had never read anything by before. The story was beautifully written and very tear-jerking. Cory is an 8 year old boy who was told by his dying mother that the famous 49ers quarterback Aaron Hill is his father. His foster mother, who was his mother's best friend, doesn't believe that. But Cory is eventually given an opportunity to write Aaron a letter. Aaron's world is turned upside down and he turns to his back-up quarterback, a strong Christian and family oriented man named Derrick. The story that follows had me in tears most of the time, it was so beautiful. What it all boils down to is that faith in God can make the impossible possible. And life (for Christians and for football players) is about what happens between Sundays.
Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender. All I will say is holy crap! Alexis' 13 year old little sister Kasey is a bit doll obsessed. Which seems only slightly odd. Until her eyes change colors, weird things start happening at their house, and one of Alexis' classmates, Megan, tells her that Kasey is possessed. Megan and Alexis team up to help free Kasey from the powerful force that has taken over her soul. The spirit of a vindictive little girl. This book was crazy. good. Crazy good!
Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston. Elizabeth and Darcy have gone to Constantinople (if you've a date there, she'll be waiting in Istanbul btw). Their 5 daughters, Letitia, Camilla, twins Georgina and Belle, and Alethea, are left with their cousins in London. Letitia is very prim and proper. Camilla is outspoken and well-read, just like her mother. The twins are spitting images of their aunt Lydia, even down to their impulsiveness and willingness to elope. And Alethea is her father's daughter. Just like the Bennett girls in Pride and Prejudice, the Darcy girls have their own sets of adventures and misadventures, but even more so as the Darcy girls are heiresses. This is a must for any English majors/literature lovers. Jane Austen would have been proud of this novel!
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson. This was my book club book. And a total tearjerker! Olivia Hunt, a movie producer, writes a series of letters throughout a one year period of her life. Those letters are to her sister, her brother, her best friend, her former boyfriend, other Hollywood players, doctors, you name it. The letters chronicle her sister's diagnosis with leukemia, her own attempt to produce Don Quixote (a story of a man who attempted to live an impossible dream, which is kind of foreshadowing), her loves and her struggles. And through it all, she manages to recount the true and outstanding adventures of the Hunt sisters. I will say this- if you have a family member with cancer, it's going to be a tough read. I can attest to that. And then to find that this is almost a true story. The author lost her sister to cancer and held on to the letters that the two of them had written to each other. So it was clearly a cathartic process for her, you can definitely feel the love the older sister has for her younger sister.
Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury. Kingsbury is a Christian author. And one I had never read anything by before. The story was beautifully written and very tear-jerking. Cory is an 8 year old boy who was told by his dying mother that the famous 49ers quarterback Aaron Hill is his father. His foster mother, who was his mother's best friend, doesn't believe that. But Cory is eventually given an opportunity to write Aaron a letter. Aaron's world is turned upside down and he turns to his back-up quarterback, a strong Christian and family oriented man named Derrick. The story that follows had me in tears most of the time, it was so beautiful. What it all boils down to is that faith in God can make the impossible possible. And life (for Christians and for football players) is about what happens between Sundays.
Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender. All I will say is holy crap! Alexis' 13 year old little sister Kasey is a bit doll obsessed. Which seems only slightly odd. Until her eyes change colors, weird things start happening at their house, and one of Alexis' classmates, Megan, tells her that Kasey is possessed. Megan and Alexis team up to help free Kasey from the powerful force that has taken over her soul. The spirit of a vindictive little girl. This book was crazy. good. Crazy good!
Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston. Elizabeth and Darcy have gone to Constantinople (if you've a date there, she'll be waiting in Istanbul btw). Their 5 daughters, Letitia, Camilla, twins Georgina and Belle, and Alethea, are left with their cousins in London. Letitia is very prim and proper. Camilla is outspoken and well-read, just like her mother. The twins are spitting images of their aunt Lydia, even down to their impulsiveness and willingness to elope. And Alethea is her father's daughter. Just like the Bennett girls in Pride and Prejudice, the Darcy girls have their own sets of adventures and misadventures, but even more so as the Darcy girls are heiresses. This is a must for any English majors/literature lovers. Jane Austen would have been proud of this novel!
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson. This was my book club book. And a total tearjerker! Olivia Hunt, a movie producer, writes a series of letters throughout a one year period of her life. Those letters are to her sister, her brother, her best friend, her former boyfriend, other Hollywood players, doctors, you name it. The letters chronicle her sister's diagnosis with leukemia, her own attempt to produce Don Quixote (a story of a man who attempted to live an impossible dream, which is kind of foreshadowing), her loves and her struggles. And through it all, she manages to recount the true and outstanding adventures of the Hunt sisters. I will say this- if you have a family member with cancer, it's going to be a tough read. I can attest to that. And then to find that this is almost a true story. The author lost her sister to cancer and held on to the letters that the two of them had written to each other. So it was clearly a cathartic process for her, you can definitely feel the love the older sister has for her younger sister.
Bye bye 2011- it was fun reading!
I'm sad to announce that I didn't end the year with a lot of books having been read this month. Only 8 (and 3 of them were shirt stories so I'm not even sure those count!). But here we go with the list!
Anthem by Ayn Rand. This was a re-read. But I'm not sure that a book I read in middle school (or maybe early high school) should really count as a re-read. It had been so long that I didn't really remember much about it. So I enjoyed the re-read. It's an interesting look at individualism v. socialism, advancement v. control. In a distant future, and another dark age, Equality 7-2521 doesn't fit in. Society calls for the "we" to prevail. He begins to sneak away and gain knowledge from hidden books. He falls in love with Liberty 5-3000, an emotion that is not allowed. When he finally decides to share his knowledge with the scholars, they attack him. He leaves the city and finds himself in the uncharted forest. Liberty 5-3000 (or the Golden One, as he calls her) joins him and they look for a new life. They find a city from the Unmentionable Times and make that their home. While reading, Equality discovers the Unspeakable Word and realizes that humanity is an "I," not a "we." He renames himself Prometheus, because he attempted to bring electricity to the scholars and renames Liberty Gaea, because she will be the mother of a new people. It's an easy read and a rather interesting look at how socialism destroys the individual and it is up to each man to retain his individuality, or his EGO.
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. If you are in a book club, this needs to be on your list!! This story takes place in the 1940's and 1986. In the beginning, twelve year olds Henry (Chinese-American) and Keiko (Japanese-American) becomes friends in Seattle. When her family is sent to a Japanese internment camp thanks to the war, they are forced apart. And begin to realize how much they mean to each other. Eventually, they both move on and lose contact with each other. Over 40 years later, The Panama Hotel, entryway to the former Japantown in Seattle, is bought and refurbishing begins. Henry, who is now a widower, and his son find items left there by Japanese families upon their evacuation. Henry uncovers memories of Keiko. And wonders what ever became of her. It was a beautiful story, one I didn't want to end!
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. I know I've seen about a million versions of this movie and assumed I'd read the books. But half-way through the first book, I realized I never had read either. I loved reading everything about Wonderland. Namely because I love all the Alice movies that have been made (prequels, sequels, everything). So it was great to get to the bare bones of Alice.
Peter Pan by JM Barrie. Again, during the reading of this one, I realized I had never read it. Shocking! Just like with Alice, I love all things Pan. In fact, I just watched a movie on SyFy (most awful spelling of a channel ever) called Neverland. It was kind of a prequel to Peter Pan. Which is probably why I decided to read Peter Pan rather than something else. I'm really enjoying reading all of the old classics (whether they are re-reads or first time reads).
Mommy, Where Do Baby Unicorns Come From, The Ugly Kids, and The Ugly Kids: To Hell in a Hand Basket by Renee Adams. These were free short stories on iBooks when I started downloading stuff. Thought they sounded cute. Maybe young adult-esque. The first one is about a little girl who sees a unicorn outside her school. She asks her mom where baby unicorns come from. Seeing as her mother doesn't believe in unicorns, she can't give her an answer. But the little girl eventually does learn the answer. When an innocent dies, they become a unicorn. Kind of sad and almost gruesome, huh? The second is about a girl named Lily who is very tall and very big. A Goblin prince falls in love with her and decides to court her. She is able to become an honorary Goblin. But doesn't want to be courted by Gohber. Until she realizes his even more grotesque brothers would like to be courting her. In the third, Gohber's parents invite Lily to their Goblin kingdom for a celebration. But before the celebration can begin, Gohber's brother literally send Gohber to hell in a hand basket. And Lily has to go save him. Because she is an honorary Goblin after all!
Anthem by Ayn Rand. This was a re-read. But I'm not sure that a book I read in middle school (or maybe early high school) should really count as a re-read. It had been so long that I didn't really remember much about it. So I enjoyed the re-read. It's an interesting look at individualism v. socialism, advancement v. control. In a distant future, and another dark age, Equality 7-2521 doesn't fit in. Society calls for the "we" to prevail. He begins to sneak away and gain knowledge from hidden books. He falls in love with Liberty 5-3000, an emotion that is not allowed. When he finally decides to share his knowledge with the scholars, they attack him. He leaves the city and finds himself in the uncharted forest. Liberty 5-3000 (or the Golden One, as he calls her) joins him and they look for a new life. They find a city from the Unmentionable Times and make that their home. While reading, Equality discovers the Unspeakable Word and realizes that humanity is an "I," not a "we." He renames himself Prometheus, because he attempted to bring electricity to the scholars and renames Liberty Gaea, because she will be the mother of a new people. It's an easy read and a rather interesting look at how socialism destroys the individual and it is up to each man to retain his individuality, or his EGO.
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. If you are in a book club, this needs to be on your list!! This story takes place in the 1940's and 1986. In the beginning, twelve year olds Henry (Chinese-American) and Keiko (Japanese-American) becomes friends in Seattle. When her family is sent to a Japanese internment camp thanks to the war, they are forced apart. And begin to realize how much they mean to each other. Eventually, they both move on and lose contact with each other. Over 40 years later, The Panama Hotel, entryway to the former Japantown in Seattle, is bought and refurbishing begins. Henry, who is now a widower, and his son find items left there by Japanese families upon their evacuation. Henry uncovers memories of Keiko. And wonders what ever became of her. It was a beautiful story, one I didn't want to end!
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. I know I've seen about a million versions of this movie and assumed I'd read the books. But half-way through the first book, I realized I never had read either. I loved reading everything about Wonderland. Namely because I love all the Alice movies that have been made (prequels, sequels, everything). So it was great to get to the bare bones of Alice.
Peter Pan by JM Barrie. Again, during the reading of this one, I realized I had never read it. Shocking! Just like with Alice, I love all things Pan. In fact, I just watched a movie on SyFy (most awful spelling of a channel ever) called Neverland. It was kind of a prequel to Peter Pan. Which is probably why I decided to read Peter Pan rather than something else. I'm really enjoying reading all of the old classics (whether they are re-reads or first time reads).
Mommy, Where Do Baby Unicorns Come From, The Ugly Kids, and The Ugly Kids: To Hell in a Hand Basket by Renee Adams. These were free short stories on iBooks when I started downloading stuff. Thought they sounded cute. Maybe young adult-esque. The first one is about a little girl who sees a unicorn outside her school. She asks her mom where baby unicorns come from. Seeing as her mother doesn't believe in unicorns, she can't give her an answer. But the little girl eventually does learn the answer. When an innocent dies, they become a unicorn. Kind of sad and almost gruesome, huh? The second is about a girl named Lily who is very tall and very big. A Goblin prince falls in love with her and decides to court her. She is able to become an honorary Goblin. But doesn't want to be courted by Gohber. Until she realizes his even more grotesque brothers would like to be courting her. In the third, Gohber's parents invite Lily to their Goblin kingdom for a celebration. But before the celebration can begin, Gohber's brother literally send Gohber to hell in a hand basket. And Lily has to go save him. Because she is an honorary Goblin after all!
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