My Classic Book Journey continues!!

#2

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

"Wise Blood: An idea that one has innate, worldly knowledge of what direction to take in life, and requires no spiritual or emotional guidance.

Hazel Motes is a simpleton from Tennessee who leaves home and travels by train to Taulkinham where he spreads his gospel of anti-religion and the church of No Jesus.   Motes meets several interesting characters along the way, all of them over the top.  But this is OK, because this exaggerated treatment of these characters makes for an interesting and compelling story.

Flannery O’Connor loves mixing religion with her beloved American South. And because it is Flannery, don’t expect rainbows and unicorns.

Two favorite quotes:

“Rat Colored Car”

“Eyes the color of clear fresh ice”

 5 / 5 Stars

#3

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Inspired by Conrad’s journey to the Congo in 1890.

I don’t know what to say. I didn’t enjoy this book.  I can’t say I cared that the main character Marlow was on a ship traveling to Africa for Ivory trading. 

This is the problem with some classics, they are not relatable. I’m not in for high adventure. Perhaps when this was written (before TV) it served its purpose, but today’s reader can’t connect to this.

I did enjoy some of the language, especially the quotes below.

“The germs of empires”

“Like a running blaze on a plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker.”

“Free as air and nearly as thin.”

“We live as we dream, alone.”

“I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice.”

3 / 5  Stars

To The Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

#1

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Juliet Stevenson.  I also had the text, but I mostly listened.  I'm glad I did, Stevenson gave the words such a sense of poetry. Otherwise, I would have been terribly bored.  Not a fan of the story, but I did love the language.

There are three parts to this novel.  

The Window which deals with Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay and their 8 children as they spend time in their summer home in Scotland.  We are given a glimpse into their relationship and how very different these two people are, but never the less, love each other in their own way.

Time Passes is the shortest section.  These chapters encompasses a 10 year period where many things unpleasant happen.  I found this section o be the most interesting.

The final part is To the Lighthouse.  This deals with closure.

This wouldn't have been a book I would have picked up on my own. I honestly didn't know about it.  This is the good thing about having to read these books, I will read books that may open up a whole new world for me.  Would I'd rather read King or J.R.R. Martin? Yes of course, but I can take a year and open up my world.  I won't like everything I read, but at least I can say, "Hey I read that" and actually be able to discuss it.

Favorite phrase in book:  ...the floor of her mind

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

I understood that this book would have some unusual and gruesome elements. I was prepared for that. I thought some of the stories were strange regardless of the time period or region they hailed from. I can see why some of these stories were made more palatable. They had good bones, but needed a different treatment. What annoyed me was the redundancy. It was interesting to read one story and then read a similar story with some changes, but there were several that were like that, and I grew bored. It also seemed like there was a common theme that grew tiring. All the princes were either enchanted & forced to marry the most beautiful princess in existence, or the beautiful daughter/princess was treated poorly by relatives or enchanted by a witch and of course a man has to come and save her from her predicament. Then there are the children that got into mischief that usually led to their detriment. I nearly gave this collection, 2 stars, but as a writer, I can see the inspiration behind the more common stories of today, and for that, it deserves the extra star.

Christmas Book #4 / 25 Days of Christmas 8

In How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas, Jeff Guinn combines solid historical fact with glorious legend to deliver another heartwarming holiday book for the whole family.

It's 1620 and Mrs. Claus's dear husband is off in the New World planting the seeds of what will become a glorious Christmas tradition. Meanwhile, Mrs. Claus has chosen to stay in England, where the first signs of a dangerous threat to Yuletide cheer are in evidence. The Puritans have gained control of Parliament and appear determined to take all the fun out of Christmas. But Mrs. Claus knows that it's time for serious action when, in 1647, a law is passed by Parliament that actually punishes anyone who celebrates Christmas. Using as its springboard the actual events of a day in 1647 when ten thousand peasants marched through the streets of Canterbury demanding their right to celebrate a beloved holiday, How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas is rich in historical detail, adventure, and plain ol' Christmas fun. (from Goodreads)

My Review:  I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book in the series The Autobiography of Santa Claus.  I felt the first few chapters of this book were a recap and since I just read it, I felt it was unnecessary.  It did pick up when the story actually turned to how she saved Christmas.  I found that history fascinating.  I gave this book 3/5 stars.  I will read more books by Guinn, although no more Christmas ones for now.

Day 8

The New York Public Library Lion at Christmas

Deck the Halls!

Law of Attraction Instruction Manual by Chris Toasso

 Rating:  ★★★★


Law of Attraction Instruction Manual: How to Understand the Law of Attraction, Design Your Unique Manifestation Process, and Create the Life You Want by Chris Tomasso is less an instruction manual for the Law of Attraction and more an instruction manual for life. Tomasso pulls from different thoughts on the Law of Attraction and puts them together in a book that is to the point and easy to understand. He references Abraham-Hicks, who by far is one of the most intelligible speakers on the subject.

I have been studying the Law of Attraction for over 15 years, and I’ve read a lot on this subject. I read different books to attain a complete understanding of the topic. I tend to be a tough reviewer on this topic, because I’ve read it all (or at least enough to know what is authentic and helpful, and what is not). This book brings it all together in one place without the confusing information on Quantum Physics. It goes straight to the heart of the topic and lays out the steps one needs to take in order to have this Law work for you and how to functionally use it in your life.

I recommend this book for those beginning to learn about the Law of Attraction. It goes right to the bones. I also recommend this book for those who have been studying it for a while and need that occasional brush up without all the rigmarole.

October Reads

Although October is not over, I don't think there will be much more reading.  As it is October, I've read some Horror. I usually don't read horror books (outside of Stephen King) during the year.  I read everything else. 

Bird Box by Josh Malerman ★★★★
Creatures have invaded the earth, there are a few survivors.  They must not look at the creatures so they live in isolation, blindfolded.  Will there be anyone left?

When I read about this book, I thought it might be interesting, it definitely sounded different.  And this Josh Melerman is a musician, not a writer.  This was a solid effort.





 Insomnia by Stephen King ★★

Ralph Roberts used to be an ordinary guy - until insomnia robbed him of sleep. Now he's no longer ordinary - he can see horrible things happening to the people of Derry, Maine. He can see how, one by one, they are turning into monsters straight from hell. (Goodreads.com)

I plan to read every Stephen King book.  It was this books turn. I didn't like it.  I didn't think it was scary, I thought it was too long and all over the place.  I didn't care about the protagonist.  Not a stellar effort for the King of Horror.




The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving ★★★

You know, Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman, nothing new here.

I don't recall reading this one, not even as a kid.  I knew the story, but it was nice to listen to the audio book.  Lots of imagery in this.  I enjoyed it.  Not very scary, toward the end is when the action starts, but that is an acceptable storytelling tactic.  Nice to read something that doesn't dwell on death and gore through the entire book.




The Troop by Nick Cutter  ★★★★

Boy scouts and their Troop leader are camping.  A stranger with a shocking appearance comes along.  No boy scout could ever be prepared for what was about to happen.

Unlike The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, this book is full of gore and death.  However, it is compelling.  There is some animal cruelty issues mentioned that animal lovers seem to have a problem with.  I'd like to think I'm pretty jaded and have seen/heard/read it all, but some of this stuff had me squirming.  This is in the realm of Psychological Horror.  Although it is not the usual thing I read (because of the excessive gore) this book was well done, and very readable.


CURRENTLY READING

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol’ Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. Whatever the name, everybody in this small Midwestern town knows who he is. How he rises from the cornfields every Halloween, a butcher knife in his hand, and makes his way toward town, where gangs of teenage boys eagerly await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare. Both the hunter and the hunted, the October Boy is the prize in an annual rite of life and death.  (Goodreads.com)

 

Ulysses by James Joyce

I understand what Joyce was attempting here. I got all the refrences to the Odyssey and Hamlet and all that. I just didn't care for it. Didn't enjoy the stream of consciousness, didn't enjoy the artistic approach at all. I believe I'm the type of person who likes books that are less experimental. 

To be honest, if my professor wasn't so adept at teaching I wouldn't have gotten nearly as much out of it. If I read this on my own, it would have been abandoned. I'm glad I read other things, because this is the type of book that would turn me off of reading for good.

I know there are those who rave about this and its unique quality. It just wasn't for me. For anyone who hasn't read Joyce and wants to, go for Dubliners or A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man , and leave this one alone.

My professor is going to kill me if he reads this, but it is nothing on him. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it and make my own decision

I utilized 3 formats in order to get through this book.  Paperback, ebook and audiobook.

★ out of ★★★★★

Angel Dreams by Doreen Virtue & Melissa Virtue - Book Review

Rating:  ✰✰✰✰

Angel Dreams: Healing and Guidance From Your Dreams by Doreen Virtue & Melissa Virtue is a short book that is packed with tons of targeted information.

I have been interested in dream interpretation for over 20 years, and I've come across many books that delve into how to interpret them.  This book gets right to the heart of the matter.  Although our dreams are different, there are a lot of symbolism that is universal.  This book gives the basic dream symbols as well as their interpretation.

As with all dreams, we must decipher them ourselves; however, this book leads in the right direction.

I was particularly interested in Angels appearing to us in dreams and I am glad that this book talks about this aspect of our dream life.

There are several dreams from others featured in this book. I found them interesting and enlightening.  I have read several books by Doreen Virtue, this is one I will reference in the future.

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

The Fault in Our Stars

I didn't cry. I cry at everything, but this book didn't make me cry. Perhaps because it was predictable and I knew the twist was coming. Nevertheless, this was an entertaining, well written, quick read. Is it simplistic? Yes. It is a YA novel. Is it cheesy? At times. I still enjoyed it. I read a wide range of books, but I’m not a book snob. If I like a book, I will admit to it.

The movie has not debuted yet, and I’m not sure how much of this book will make it in to the film, but I think it is a good idea to read the book first if you can, or afterwards. 

I enjoyed the character of Augustus Waters. I felt he was a kid who lived on his own terms and had a unique way of thinking. Hazel was your typical “teenager” young lady who was not overly annoying.
Overall, an enjoyable read.

Quantum Creativity: Think Quantum, Be Creative by Amit Goswami

When I came across this title, I was interested, because not only am I creative, I am also a fan of quantum physics and consciousness. The first half of this book attempts to explain quantum thinking in a way that the masses can understand; however, I think anyone who reads this book needs a very basic knowledge of the workings of quantum physics. It is not as basic as Dr. Goswami perceives it to be. I was able to follow most of the first half of the book because I have an interest in the topic and have read about it previously. I enjoyed the 2nd half of the book as it was less technical and spoke of creativity. I appreciated the parables Dr. Goswamishared to make the points he was making come alive. This is where the ‘lay person’ aspect of this book comes in. Once you get through all the technical stuff, this is where the book shines.

Not only does Dr. Goswami go into how quantum creativity works, he talks about how our creativity suffers. It is helpful to see what we are doing to block the flow. It is easier to know where to go when we know where we have been.

This is a three star read for me. The book was informative although it is not knew information for me. It is well written and good for those who want to learn more about this topic. Dr. Goswami is knowledgeable in this field and his work is important for our time.

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Historical Fiction Reads

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

 

It took me a long while to want to read this book.  Initially, I did not think I would find reading about the stark landscape of Iceland interesting.  I didn’t think I’d find the life of a murderess awaiting execution in 1829 interesting. Now I realize, I don’t know what I will find or not find interesting.  This book changed my perception.

 

This haunting debut novel by Hannah Kent is set in a bleak location and has a bleak premise.  Agnes Magnúsdóttir awaits execution in the early 1800’s.  She is accused of murdering her lover and another man.  We are taken back to the events that lead up to the murder, the details of the murder and the anguish of the seemingly endless wait of her death. We are also shown, through the eyes of others, how the reputation of someone proceeds them and how minds can made to be changed and hearts made to care.

 

Kent takes this piece of Icelandic history and takes us on a fictionalized account of what occurred during the months she waited to be executed.  We are taken inside of Agnes’ head and heart and learn about her memories and fears.

 

This story grips you and keeps you on the edge with a heavy heart until the very last page.

 

5 out of 5 stars.

 

 

Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow

Homer & Langley Collyer were brothers who were known as the Hermits of Harlem.  Doctorow takes this fascinating story and fictionalizes it. 

 

The collier brothers lived together in a mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City.  Homer, who is blind and eventually goes deaf, is cared for by his brother Langley.  Langley starts hoarding newspapers for ‘research’.  Eventually the hoarding grows out of control and their grand mansion becomes a huge museum of junk and eventually their tomb.

 

In the factual account, the Collyer brothers lived from the late 1800s until 1947; however, for interest sake, Doctorow changes the time line.  This brings them through World War I, the Jazz/gangster era all the way up to the free loving days of the 1960s and slightly beyond.

 

I think the change in time gives this story much more interest and relatability.  The fact that there is not much information on these brothers because most of the stuff in their home was destroyed during the purging didn’t stop Doctorow from creating a compelling story of one possible reality.

 

4 out of 5 stars.

 

 

Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini

 

Kate Chase Sprague is the daughter of Salmon Chase, an Ohio lawyer in the 1800s.  She attempted to establish her father as a future presidential candidate against Lincoln.

The fact that she was considered Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival was because of her beauty, intelligence and political acumen, Mary Lincoln did not embrace her.

 

I really enjoyed Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini; however, I did not embrace this book.  I thought it was slow and lacked any interest.

 

2 out of 5 stars.

 

 

 

The Waterworks by E.L. Doctorow

 

Give me a book that takes place in New York City in the 1800s and I will read it.

 

A freelance writer notices a stagecoach with some elderly men.  One of these men was reported dead and buried by his family.  This mystery unfolds amidst the dank reality of New York City in the 1800s.  We are shown the disparity between the rich and the poor in this morality tale.

 

3 out of 5 stars.

 

Two Historical Fiction Reads

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

I was wary about reading this, since her last book "The Mermaid Chair", was such a flop.  I was hoping this was more on the level of "The Secret Life of Bees".  I was happy that I took the chance.

This story alternates between Hattie (Handful) a slave and Sarah Grimké , the daughter of a slave owner.  We watch both of these ladies grow from very young girls to mature women.  Handful is Sarah's slave.  Sarah does not want this, but as a young girl, she has no say.  Her father, who is a lawyer and judge, keeps Sarah from following in his footsteps.  We go through their lives, together and apart, and watch how they both 'sprout wings' and fly.

This type of Historical Fiction is Kidd's specialty.  Based on a true story, this telling is very compelling. 

This is an Oprah Book Club pick.  I usually read her picks, I've not been disappointed on the new books she brings to my attention.


News From Heaven by Jennifer Haigh

"News From Heaven: The Bakerton Stories" is a collection of short stories by the author of the novel "Faith." Most of these stories take place between the 1920s through the second World War. It revolves around a town in Pennsylvania called Bakerton (a mining town).  The town's population is overwhelmingly Polish.  A few of these stories deal with the Polish Christian and the Jewish people they have contact with.  One of my favorite stories is the first one. "Beast and Bird" is a story about a young Polish woman who goes to work as a maid for a Jewish couple in New York City.  However, all of the stories are very well written and interesting.

Frustration with on-line article writing / Thoughts on Books

I thought I'd try my hand at posting some articles on line.  I looked around and people said that Triond was a good site.  I joined it and I am not pleased.  I submitted 2 articles yesterday and they declined it.  They said the content was already published on line.  OK...that may be so as I quoted someone else's article.  Although I gave them credit, it was not allowed.  They want only original content.  OK...I thought, fair enough.  So I posted 2 more articles that were 100% original content.  They came back automatically saying it was duplicate content that was elsewhere on the web.  So I searched the site to see if I was doing anything wrong.  I found that there is a certain way to submit etc.  So, I did everything right and guess what?  It still was declined.  I give up.  People say HubPages is better.  I will give them a try.  I'm not all about making money, although it is nice, I want to write articles to help people.  But Triond frustrated me to no end.  I wasn't the only one with this problem.  On the help/support page, every other post was the same thing...articles declined over and over and over.  So it seems to me, Triond doesn't know their butt from their elbow. 

The fall semester has ended.  I start the Spring semester on the 22nd.  I am looking forward to the new semester.  18 weeks of the same class can be tiring.  One of my classes is called The Art of Storytelling.  It will be the same teacher I had for The Short Story.  I found The Short Story class very interesting.  I'm not a short story reader, although I do read them, but I usually read a collection by the same author.  This class introduced me to authors I never read and stories I didn't know existed.  I enjoyed it.

I finally finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King.  I started this book in November 2011.  It took me so long because everything got in the way, mainly school and other books.  I enjoyed the beginning and the end, I found the middle to be extraneous for the most part. There were some important parts that moved the story along, but I grew bored.  The ending was classic King and I wished more of the book was like that.  I understand he was trying to do something different, but I think he needs to stick to horror.  I have read other non-horror books by him, and they were just OK.  It is a shame he is put into that box but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Here is the sad part. I've read 3 other Stephen King books before finishing this.  And he is my favorite author.  I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.

I recently finished The Leftovers by Tom Perrota.  It was a NYT notable book for 2011, and I read somewhere, they are going to make it into a TV Show or mini series or something.  My question is WHY?  It has an interesting premise.  Something akin to The Rapture occurs and this story examines what happens to the people who are left behind.  Some families are left to pick up the pieces of their lives as fathers, sisters and children just vanish one day.  Some deal with the
grief in ordinary ways, some in not so ordinary ways.  A cult like fraction starts up called "The Watchers". There job is to WATCH those who are left behind.  They are like the 'moral compass'.  It all sounds very intriguing, but the book didn't come off as such.  I give this book 3 stars.

All Woman & Springtime by Brandon W. Jones

I’ve read many non-fiction books about North Korea, however, this is the first fiction book I’ve read that dealt with the horrors of North Korea as well as sex trafficking. Although I have some knowledge of what goes on in North Korea, this book gave my ideas breath. The horror embodied in three women gave me pause.

We watch two friends go from families with vastly different circumstances to an orphanage where they become best friends.

The story proceeds to take us on a journey of these two girls as well as others who were sold into the sex slave business. Here it became a little graphic for my taste, although I do understand the necessity to bring to light what occurs in this business. I just felt it was a little over done and a lot could have been said without using such strong imagery.

However, as the story progressed further, it became more interesting as we watch these women grow in friendship, fight for survival and learn how to trust again.

This story’s outcome is bittersweet but satisfying.

I was originally thinking a 3.5 star rating, but the last few chapters moved it up the ½ star. Not the best writing books I’ve read, but one of the most touching books I’ve read in a while.

4 Stars
 

Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness Singing with Others by Stacy Horn

Imperfect Harmony is a non-fiction book that marries a memoir a musical education. Stacy Horn entertains and educates us with the inner workings of a church choir as well as the history of some of the world’s most important musical pieces.

Stacy takes us on her journey which starts with her joining the choir and the reasons behind it. We travel through her years and all the politics behind a church choir that most people, who have never belonged to a church choir, don’t know.

I was able to relate to a lot of the inner workings of her church choir as mine has similar situations happen. I especially liked the part where she said:

“I tried to catch the eye of everyone around me who wasn’t a soprano I. I get it. First sopranos don’t feel this. You hear it, but you don’t feel it. You don’t know that those lowly peasants making a nice vocal cushion for you to step on had parts that were every bit as rapturous as yours”

This rings very true. Many sopranos tend to feel superior, when in truth, all the parts are necessary in the choir. Of course this is something that one who is not in a choir, may not know.

I loved her stories of the people she sang with. Also being a New Yorker, and dealing with very similar personalities, I couldn’t help but to smile.

Another pretty cool thing I learned from this book was that: “…hearing loss starts at high frequencies and slowly progresses downward.”

Now I understand why the older women in my choir are always off key.

I thought this was a wonderful peek inside the life of one woman and her choir. It also opened my eyes to a lot of music I never heard. After reading this, I searched around for many of the music she commented on in this book.

The world is full of beautiful music. Stacy Horn makes it a little easier to find.

Escape from Camp 14

Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden

What a heartbreaking story. I am very ignorant to what is going on in N. Korea. This young man's story was an educational moment for me. We learn about why N. Koreans are put into these camps. I assumed (with my Western mind) that they committed crimes, but this isn't the case at all. In N. Korea, you truly are visited by the sins of your father. I am going to continue to read more about N. Korea and try to get a broder view of what goes on there.

This biography was written by Blaine Harden an author and journalist who reports for PBS and Frontline.  Not only do we hear Shin's story about how he escaped the camp but we also learn some of the inner workings of N. Korea.

Shin Dong Hyuk now lives in the states and is a human rights activist.

Another book was mentioned in this one and I plan to read it soon. 
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick.

 

 

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Let me tell you what I didn’t like about this book:

1)    The name dropping stories will (and in some cases already are) dated.  This book will not hold up over the years.  He talks about people, TV Shows, movies etc, that in 75 years, no one will know what they are or who they were.  I had this problem when I read Napoleon Hill’s books.  Stuff that was a normal mind set when he wrote the books are no longer applicable.  This caused me to grow frustrated while reading it.

2)    The later principles talk about financial success.  Where the information is sound, it doesn’t work for everyone. It is not a blanket approach.  He says “Don’t think you can’t do it”.  Well, let me see, if I save 50% of my paycheck in a savings account what will I be?  Rich? No I’d be homeless.  If you make $100K a year, then this is a possibility. If you make $40K a year, live in NYC and have a kid in college along with being a single parent, saving 50% of your check is not something you should be doing.

3)    A lot of regurgitated information.  Most of the stuff in the earlier chapters I’ve read or heard about over the last 20 years.  There is no new information in here.

4)    Too much book plugging for his “Chicken Soup for The Soul” books.  We get it. You made money with these books.  You had a million dollar idea…blah blah blah.


Let me tell you what I did like about this book:

1)    I listened to the audio version so it was abridged.  I do have the physical copy, but I don’t think I’ll be reading that any time soon.

2)    There is some good information in here for those who are new to Jack Canfield and or this way of thinking.  If you have been a student of manifesting and metaphysics for a while, this book will be too elementary.

3)    I did like his principle on how you can self educate yourself.  People think schooling is the only way to get ahead. Don’t get me wrong, it sure helps, but you can learn things by reading or watching educational TV or films.  Or you can talk to people who can stimulate your thought process.  He talks about staying away from negative people and those who will pull you down.

4)    He did mention Stephen King. 

And I do understand that this is not an instant fix.  It should take years and years to master these principles.  This is a great book for a 25 year old.  For a 50 year old who has kids in college and gets paid minimum wage…not so helpful (financial info).  Although we can all have a successful mindset, and because of that, this book has merit.

This book was not very motivational for me.

Book Review - Mr. g by Alan Lightman

I found this article, I thought it might be of interest to some.

Romance blooms in ebook formats


Review

Mr. g by Alan Lightman

Alan Lightman has written a new book entitled "Mr. g: A Novel About The Creation"

I thought this would be a quirky and/or enlightening read. I was mostly disappointed. The book pretty much starts off as I suspected, God hanging around bored and decided to create something. Through the prompting of his Aunt Penelope and Uncle Deva he decides to create with all seriousness a sustainable universe.

At first the book was a comfortable read, however, Lightman starts off on a super scientific tangent. If one does not know about Physics, chemistry or biology, the reader would be lost. Once man was created the book moved through time quickly with some more interesting 'slice of life' and 'ethical morals' stories. However, there was not enough to hold my interest. I did manage to finish, I just wished it would have been a little more thought provoking and a lot less scientific.

Movies and Book Reviews

I signed up for Amazon Prime. I have one free month before I take the plunge.  $79 gets to streaming of movies (older) and TV shows.  Not unlike Netflix streaming. But now they have the Lending Library, from Amazon.  You can borrow one book a month and keep it as long as you like.  I thought it would be worth $79 for the year to give it a shot.  I already have the Roku box for my Netflix streaming, and I can watch the Amazon streaming on that too.

I plan to buy the Kindle Fire sometime next year.  My Kindle, though still working, is just getting old.  I have a Nook too, but as much as I read, I really do need them all.

This weekend I officially start watching my Holiday Movies.  I have a few Thanksgiving movies to watch, some of them are actually re-watches, but I liked them the first time, so I want to watch them again.  “A Family Thanksgiving” and “An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving” are on the list.  After a few hours of cleaning the house (tidying up for Thanksgiving) I am going to do nothing but watch movies.

I finally got “Lost December” by Richard Paul Evans from the library, they took forever to get it in.  No not really, in actuality, it came out later than usual.  His books usually come out in early October, this one came out in later.  But I was one of the first requesters, so I got it. That should take me a minute to read.  It is too early to use it for any Christmas reading challenges, but I don’t care. I read all of his Christmas books, whenever I get them, and that is usually October or November.  And since there is always a waiting list, I don’t have a choice.

Most Christmas books aren’t very long, so I would like to say I’ll get through one every other week in between my other reading.  And the fact that “11/22/63” by Stephen King is coming out on November 8^th, it might take up much of my time as it is 960 pages long.

Nano started four days ago.  And as of now, I’m on track.  1,667 words a day is all that is needed to make it to the endon November 30^th.  I hope to be done before then, however, I am not as ahead as I usually am. I am literally right on track.  But I will finish this year. Last year I didn’t even participate.

REVIEWS:

Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman

I read this because it was long listed for the Booker Prize.  The synopsis sounded interesting to.

Lying in front of Harrison Opuku is a body, the body of one of his classmates, a boy known for his crazy basketball skills, who seems to have been murdered for his dinner…

I thought this book was pretty awful. I have to say, I haven’t disliked a book in a long time.  It is told from the point of an eleven year old boy. Which in itself is a turn off for me.  However, I’ve read books narrated by young people, “Room” by Emma Donoghue comes to mind, and it was fantastic.  There was something about the language this boy used. It wasn’t endearing to me.  When the boy cursed, the writer would use f----- instead of spelling out the whole word. What was the purpose of that?  He may have been eleven, but a curse is a curse and if he said it, write it.  I also felt the protagonist seemed a lot younger than eleven.  He was talking about super heroes and such.  I think back to when my son was eleven and my daughter even, and they seem more mature than that.  Basically this book didn’t grab me until literally the last two pages.  Then it got good, and then it ended.

The most interesting parts to read were when the Pigeon talked. This was some of the most fluid and captivating language I’ve ever read.  I don’t know what happened with the rest of this book, it was a mess.  I give this 1.5 out of 5 stars.

The Talk-Funny Girl by Roland Merullo

I found this book through Pigeon English if you can believe it.  Some how, this book came up in my search for Booker List books. It is not a British book, but it sounded good so I gave it a shot.

In one of the poorest parts of rural New Hampshire , teenage girls have been disappearing, snatched from back country roads, never to be seen alive again.  For seventeen-year-old Marjorie Richards, the fear raised by these abductions is the backdrop to what she lives with her own home, every day.  Marjorie has been raised by parents so intentionally isolated from normal society that they have developed their own dialect, a kind of mountain hybrid of English that displays both their ignorance of and disdain for the wider world….

I LOVED this book.  The synopsis does not even do it justice. There is no way they could put all that happens in this book into a short blurb.  This girls parents are absolutely whacked, her aunt has a secret, the guy she works for has a secret, the kids in her school tease her about the way she talks, she’s worried about a serial killer….OMG, how does she manage?

This was a super book.  I highly recommend.  I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.